Julie Ponesse, an ethics professor at Huron University College which is affiliated with Western University, describes it as "ethically wrong" to require staff and students to be fully vaccinated, despite the policy also being encouraged by Ontario health officials.
"I am facing imminent dismissal after 20 years on the job. Because I will not submit to having an experimental vaccine injected into my body," said Ponesse in the video.
"I don't work in a high-risk environment. I'm not a doctor in an emergency room. I'm a teacher. I'm a university professor," she adds.
This video comes amid a statement released Tuesday by Western University President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Shepard, after a "disturbing trend" involving several large gatherings near the campus in London, Ont., during frosh week.
"This activity is a blatant disregard for the campus community, public health, and the law," Shepard wrote. "We want to be clear: if this activity continues, the academic year we have so carefully planned will not happen. In-person learning with fellow students, interaction with professors, extra-curricular activities, athletics and all the things that make your student experience great will be lost.
Ponesse defended her refusal to be vaccinated by comparing herself to Greek philosopher Socrates. "In the spirit of Socrates, who was executed for asking questions ... When a person has done the same job to the satisfaction of her employer for 20 years, is it right? Or is it wrong to suddenly demand that they submit to an unnecessary medical procedure in order to keep their job?" said Ponesse.
Near the end of the video, Ponesse is seen crying while an unidentified woman in the background says, "That was amazing, Julie."
Ponesse has also received support from the People's Party of Canada as she spoke to PPC Leader Maxime Bernier last week regarding the ethics of lockdowns and vaccine policies, which the video refers to as "illegal and unconstitutional."
The video ends with a black screen and writing in white font, saying, "Dr. Ponesse was dismissed from her position on September 7, 2021."
University officials deny Ponesse's claim that she was dismissed.
"While I can't comment on individual HR matters, I can confirm to you that at this time, no one at Huron has been dismissed as a result of this policy," said a spokesperson for Huron University College.
Correction — Sept. 9, 2021: This article was edited to correct that Julie Ponesse is a professor at Huron University College, not Western University.
R.C.