The Lawfare Project Announces Defamation Lawsuit in Partenership with Zacharias Vickers Mccann LLP on Behalf of Former Chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission

The Lawfare Project and Zacharias Vickers McCann LLP today announced the filing of a defamation lawsuit on behalf of Collin May, the former Chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC). The suit seeks to remedy significant personal and professional damage resulting from an alleged defamatory campaign that led to Mr. May's removal from his position and harmed his career prospects.

In 2009, Mr. May authored a scholarly review of a book by Professor Efraim Karsh, a distinguished Jewish-Israeli historian, which offered a critical examination of Islam. Following Mr. May's appointment as Chief of the AHRC in 2022, organizations including Progress Alberta and the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) falsely accused Mr. May of "Islamophobia" by erroneously attributing Professor Karsh's views directly to Mr. May. The lawsuit, filed in the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, alleges that individuals from Progress Alberta and the NCCM conducted this defamatory campaign knowingly and with organizational approval.

"This case is crucial in defending the integrity of public discourse and ensuring that scholarly and intellectual freedom are not undermined by defamatory accusations of Islamophobia designed to intimidate and silence," said Benjamin Ryberg, Chief Operating Officer of The Lawfare Project. "We stand firmly with Collin May, determined to ensure that such malicious attempts at character assassination do not go unanswered."

Mr. May’s appointment was rescinded on September 15, 2022, by Order of the Minister of Justice.

“This lawsuit is about protecting academic freedom from those who weaponize false accusations of Islamophobia to silence critical inquiry, damage reputations, and undermine genuine scholarly debate,” said Collin May. “I am bringing this litigation not only to clear my name but also to confront the dangerous combination of antisemitism, anti-intellectualism, and partisan hostility threatening Canadian democracy.”

The lawsuit aims to restore Mr. May's reputation, secure compensation for damages sustained from the defamatory actions, and hold accountable those who misuse their influence to wrongfully accuse individuals of Islamophobia. 

"Our client is taking a stand against what we view as defamatory attacks designed to silence scholarly discussion and distort public perception through baseless allegations of Islamophobia,” said Brian Vickers, Partner at Zacharias Vickers McCann, LLP. “This case is about holding those accountable who intentionally misuse serious accusations to harm reputations and suppress academic freedom.”