A class of computing science students at SFU's Burnaby campus got a substitute professor Tuesday after their regular prof sent them an anti-feminist, anti-trans rant on the course's messaging platform last week.
"We understand there have been some personal views and messages shared on the course platform," stated a message from the computing sciences department to students in CMPT 320 Monday. "These values do not represent those of the university, and we want to assure you that the matter is under review."
The personal views were those of Steven Pearce, a lecturer in SFU's school of computing science.
The message, titled "My Statement on the Insanit (sic) of the Transgender Marxist Divide-and-Conquer Cultural Weapon," urged students to "be brave and tell the truth" in the face of "impending lies from the establishment, the Marxists, and their radicalized Red Army of naïve students who know virtually nothing of the world."
He suggested students should give up university if they ignore "science" and don't accept there are only two sexes and that "black supremacy is as bad as white supremacy."
He said he was "primarily talking to radicalized feminists," both male and female, and shared insights from his 50 years of martial arts training.
"FACT: I am stronger than any woman I have ever met in my entire life (except for one scary woman on steroids)," Pearce wrote, "but I have been defeated by women with superior technical skills and a determined mentality that borders on frightening."
He decried U.S. polls that showed more than half of young women in the U.S. consider it a "red flag" if a date watches Joe Rogan or won't see the Barbie movie.
"I certainly will not, as it is another hit piece on men," Pearce wrote.
He said he expected the message would put him "in the line of fire of radical activists."
"If you like, go complain to higher administration about me like a little elementary school child and waste their time rather than following proper protocol and facing me first and trying to resolve things properly," Pearce wrote. "The protocol of your group is to get someone else to do your dirty work."
CMPT 320 is a course on the "social implications of a computerized society," according to the SFU website.
In an email exchange with the NOW, Pearce said he makes "no apologies" for the message.
"The only reason I sent this to my class was to demonstrate to them how to engage in critical arguments with courage, knowing that an attack is imminent," he said. "Clearly, I stated more than I should have in a very harsh tone, but people have to learn to stand up to radical ideological activists who are destroying Western culture before it is too late."
He said his message had "nothing to do with attacking transgender people."
Pearce said the letter was sparked by a video by conservative YouTuber and comedian JP Sears, in which Sears comments on a news story about transgender women competing in the women's division of a U.S. jiu-jitsu competition.
When asked how the video was relevant to the computing science course, Pearce said he teaches students to "weigh out both sides of an argument as part of critical thinking."
"But that there are better arguments than others based on facts, consistency, and logic," he said.
During the email exchange Pearce said his letter was his own and "has nothing to do with the views of the SFU."
The university was made aware of the email over the weekend, according to assistant director of external communications Will Henderson.
He said the message contained "personal views that do not represent the views of the university" and a temporary instructor had been appointed for Tuesday as SFU looks into the matter further.
Henderson did not say whether Pearce will be back in the classroom at SFU.
"At this time, we are still looking into the matter," Henderson said.
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