A video distributed by Simon Fraser University to encourage energy conservation is being labelled sexist and demeaning to the female faculty.
The clip depicts an instructor playing Solitaire on her computer and giggling as a male student flirtatiously compliments her sweater. It was distributed by the university this week to promote National Sweater Day on Saturday.
But that message was overshadowed by uproar over the portrayal of female staff, which physicist and lecturer Sarah Johnson said left many instructors aghast.
“There’s so many things wrong with the video,” Johnson said. “It was just so surprising that SFU would put out something that was so clearly sexist and offensive and demeaning.”
Related: Watch the full video here
SFU pulled the video down within hours of distributing it, and soon after issued an apology. Officials said it had been produced by an outside agency two years ago.
“This video was inappropriate. It shouldn’t have been posted and we regret that it was posted,” university spokesman Kurt Heinrich said.
“SFU really is an institution known for its equitability and inclusivity and we’re very aware this video did not reflect that at all.”
The university has launched an investigation into how the video was released, and pledged to put protocols in place to avoid offensive material in the future.
Johnson said she’s interested to know who took part in its creation in the first place.
“When they pitched that idea, I wonder who was in the room? Who thought that was OK?” she said.
National Sweater Day is an annual World Wildlife Fund event designed to encourage people to use less heat over the winter by layering up.
According to WWF, Canadians could collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by four megatons – the equivalent of taking 700,000 cars off the road – by turning the heat down two degrees in winter.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
