NOVANEWS
- The University of Illinois has refused to finalize a professor’s tenured appointment. This, after Steven Salaita condemned the recent Israeli offensive in Gaza in a series of tweets. In one of his first appearances after the loss of his appointment, Salaita came to the University of Chicago to speak on the matter.
University administration refused to approve the hiring, after Salaita tweeted in July criticizing Israel’s most recent attack on Gaza. Documents from Freedom of Information Act requests reveal that the decision came after donors to the university communicated their opposition to Salaita’s hiring because of his politics. The university chancellor, Phyllis Wise, tells us the decision has nothing to do with donor pressures or Salaita’s political position, and that it is a consequence of his uncivil social media presence. Faculty and lawyers across the country view the chancellor’s action as a violation of both academic freedom and First Amendment rights. The chancellor’s decision has not been without consequences. In protest, invited speakers are cancelling their speaking engagements, while Salaita is pursuing legal action against the university.
