Dr. Anil Kishen has resigned as dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry following an investigation into antisemitic images he included in lecture materials, the university announced on Thursday.
“The university has found that the slides contain antisemitic imagery, even though it was not Dr. Kishen’s intent to promote antisemitism,” Trevor Young, the university’s vice president and provost, wrote to the faculty community in a letter shared by Honest Reporting Canada.
“He had limited knowledge about antisemitic imagery and tropes associated with Jewish people when he included the images in his lecture materials,” Young wrote.
One cartoon depicted a figure with an exaggerated, beak-like nose sitting in a bathtub filled with money. It appeared during a lecture on the human immune system. Another showed a figure painted in Palestinian flag colors being strangled with a rope while wrapped in an Israeli flag. That image accompanied an explanation of how inflammation restricts blood flow in dental tissue.
“I selected these images as visual analogies for two concepts,” Kishen said at the time. “I was not trying to make any political statements with these images.”
The university’s review also found “deep divisions” within the faculty over the incident. While some members accepted Kishen’s apology, others were “deeply hurt” by the images, Young wrote.
According to the letter, Kishen has undergone training about antisemitism. “He has shared that he’s learned a great deal and is committed to continuing his cultural education,” Young wrote.
Although Kishen has resigned as dean, he will retain his tenured faculty position at the university. He had been on administrative leave since February and is expected to return to his full duties in the 2027-28 academic year. Acting Dean Laura Tam will remain in the position while the university searches for a successor.
