Cancelled psych professor running for Nova Scotia councillor

Rick Mehta, a former psychology professor at Acadia University who was fired for making controversial comments on social media and in the classroom, has announced his candidacy for councillor in a Nova Scotia municipal election.

Mehta said in a tweet he will be running for District 8 councillor in the Nova Scotia municipality of the County of Kings.

"While politics at the federal and provincial levels are important, I am hoping that I will be elected at the municipal level because this is the level that affects the everyday lives of Canadian citizens," said Mehta.

"In other words, I think that I can have more of an impact on the lives of my fellow residents by running at the local level than by running at the provincial or federal levels."

He said he will be knocking on doors to speak with voters face to face. He plans on using his Facebook page as a forum to tell potential voters about himself and allow them to discuss issues they view as important.

A policy he wants to spearhead if he is elected is strengthening youth physical and mental health. He said he will strengthen youth physical and mental health by pushing for affordable summer camps, providing youth with opportunities to work together and compete.

He intends on opposing Diversity Kings County. Diversity Kings County is a program started by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to address social marginalization, racism, and discrimination. He will oppose this program because he said it does not serve the municipality's interests.

Mehta will be using his dismissal from Acadia as part of his campaign.

"I am using it as a concrete example of my integrity," Mehta said. "I believe that it demonstrates clearly that I am firm when it comes to matters of principle or conscience."

He was employed as a psychology professor at Acadia from 2003 to 2018. He spoke out against his union during contract negotiations in 2017. After he spoke out, he realized it was a matter of time before his union turned against him.

Mehta used his remaining time at Acadia to speak out against how western civilization was heading in the wrong direction. He became outspoken on campus and online about contentious issues such multiculturalism, gender politics, and decolonization.

Acadia dismissed him in 2018, a few months after launching a formal investigation into complaints against him.

The Municipality of the County of Kings election will be held on Oct. 17.