OTTAWA — Carleton University has stopped Hassan Diab from returning to the classroom following at least one complaint from an outside organization.

B’nai Brith, the influential Jewish group, harshly criticized the university for hiring Diab, who is accused in France of killing four people in the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue.

The Toronto-based national office of B’nai Brith issued a statement condemning Carleton’s actions, while an Ottawa-based member of the group telephoned the university directly to complain.

“The university did the right thing,” B’nai Brith executive vice-president Frank Dimant said Tuesday of Carleton’s about-face in not allowing Diab to teach.

Dimant said it was “inconceivable” that Diab, who’s awaiting an extradition hearing on Jan. 4, 2010, would be allowed to be in direct contact with young people.

On Monday, a Carleton spokeswoman confirmed that Diab had been hired on contract to teach for a few weeks this summer after the instructor originally assigned to the introductory sociology class took “an unforeseen leave.”

However, late Tuesday afternoon, the university issued a terse statement that a full-time faculty member would “immediately replace the current instructor, Hassan Diab.”

The move was being made in order to provide students “with a stable, productive academic environment that is conducive to learning,” the statement said.

A Carleton media-relations officer did not return calls or e-mails, and the university’s statement said “no further comment will be made regarding this issue.”

Diab, 55, was born in Lebanon, but obtained Canadian citizenship in 1993. He is fighting an extradition bid by the French government.

Diab has been under virtual house arrest since he was arrested late last year. He has been granted bail but under very strict conditions which include the wearing of an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Ottawa Citizen