A university student in Mexico is facing the loss of his license to practice psychology over a speech he gave as the school’s valedictorian challenging radical gender theory and defending the traditional family, according to legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.
The Autonomous University of Baja California is expected to make a judgement in September on Christian Cortez Pérez’s future following calls from some of the school’s professors to have the graduate’s academic degree and professional license withheld, a press release from the legal group outlines.
“Today we are deep into a real anthropological struggle to redefine the human being, the human person, man, through the implementation of ideologies and fashions of thought that always end up undermining dignity and freedom,” Cortez Pérez said in his valedictorian speech, which was given in Spanish on June 27, according to ADF International.
He also quoted G.K. Chesterton on the destruction of the family, telling his peers, “People do not know what they are doing; because they do not know what they are undoing.”
“To attack life and the family is to self-destruct, it is an attack on civilization itself,” Cortez Pérez continued.
Since the speech, Cortez Pérez has allegedly been the subject of a silencing and sanctioning campaign initiated by some of the school’s professors.
Professors issued a “manifesto” calling on the university to sanction the graduate for “hate speech,” ADF said, noting that the educators are calling for Cortez Pérez’s academic degree and professional license to be withheld, his merit award withdrawn, and the psychology associations across Mexico be alerted about his speech.
Such demands were presented to the University Council, and Cortez Pérez was subsequently informed on August 4 “that the university has initiated proceedings against him and has submitted a counterclaim to protect his rightful interests,” the press release said.
“I exercised my fundamental right to free speech to address my classmates about what I believe are the most pressing issues of our time,” Cortez Pérez said in a statement sent to The Daily Wire. “Now, I stand to lose my entire professional career because I expressed views with which some students and faculty disagree.”
“Public universities must respect the free speech rights of all students, and I am committed to obtaining justice not just for myself, but for all Mexicans interested in preserving the right to freely express themselves,” he added.
“For exercising his basic human rights and expressing views shared by many, Christian faces irreparable reputational damage and a ban on his professional practice, threatening all that he has worked for in his career,” said Kristina Hjelkrem, who’s working in support of the case as ADF International’s legal counsel for Latin America.
“If the campaign to punish Christian is successful, it shows that anyone who dares to speak in public in Mexico is in danger,” she added. “This is a clear violation of international human rights law, reminiscent of dictatorships, not democracies.”
A judgement on Cortez Pérez’s future is expected some time this month.