Employees of Penguin Random House Canada are said to have pressed on the publisher’s decision to publish Jordan Peterson’s new book during a townhall meeting.
Peterson, a Canadian medical psychologist, announces his new book in his own style, “Professor Against Political Rightness” Beyond order: 12 more rules for life Will be released in a YouTube video on Monday, March 2021.
The news sparked an outcry from Canada’s largest book publisher, with some employees confronting management in an attempt to cancel the book’s publication. Dozens of people have filed anonymous complaints about the book, according to the report.
Four Penguin Random House Canada employees told Vice that the company was secretive about Peterson’s book and that it did not appear in the internal database, which usually includes all upcoming releases.
At Inner Town Hall on Monday, publishing executives backed the decision to release Peterson, while staff aired their grievances.
“He is a symbol of hate speech and transphobia. He is a symbol of white supremacy and is not proud to work for a company that publishes him, regardless of the content of his book,” one employee, a member of the LGBTQ community, told Wise.
Another said, “People are crying about how Jordan Peterson in the crowd affected their lives.”
One employee said Peterson had “intensified” their father and another said the publication of his new book would “negatively bother their non-binary friend”.
Since gaining prominence in 2016 for refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns, Peterson has been known for his divisive views on political and cultural issues. His book 12 rules for life: an alternative medicine for confusion Has sold over five million copies worldwide, According to To Penguin Random House.
In a statement to Wise, Penguin Random House Canada said it was “determined to release a wide variety of voices and perspectives.”
“We are ready to hear the views of our employees and answer all their questions,” the statement added.
Wise’s statement was widely circulated on social media, with some suggesting that the employees who complained should be fired.
Peterson’s daughter, Mikhaila Peterson, tweeted the article, calling for the removal of “crying adults.”
Conservative pundit Candace Owens has called for layoffs. “I never understood how business owners face employee demands,” he tweeted.
“As a business owner, I simply can not relate. This is a quick path to unemployment for us in the backbone. I did not build my businesses under the title Brats to tell you how to run it.”
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