U of I should do right and rehire Professor Salaita‏

As one who painfully watched my Glen Ellyn neighbor, College of DuPage, squander millions during and cleaning up after the six year reign of president Robert Breuder, it's like Deja vu to see the University of Illinois embark on the same wasteful path.

I refer to the enfolding scandal that may yet cost a million or more over their illegal firing of professor Steven Salaita and near illegal withholding a $400,000 retention bonus to retiring chancellor Phyllis Wise.

Salaita is the Native American studies specialist who gave up a tenured position at Virginia Tech and moved his family to Urbana to begin a prestigious post at Illinois' best. But before starting he was illegally fired by Wise and VP of Academic Affairs Christophe Pierre for exercising his First Amendment rights to criticize Israel on Twitter for their July 8, 2014, Operation Protective Edge pounding of Gaza which left 2,000 Gazans dead, including 400 children. As one who also exercised my First Amendment rights to publically criticize Israel for what I believed were war crimes in their disproportionate bombing of civilian areas, I'm disturbed that our venerated state university would shred free speech, stifle academic freedom and disgrace the aims of education to placate wealthy, pro-Israeli donors who essentially said, 'Dump Salaita or lose our six figure dough.' Now the meter is running on the tab we taxpayers will have to pay for the cowardice and stupidity of administrators Wise, Pierre and the Board of Trustees who allowed themselves to be duped into carrying water for special interests who will trash our most cherished democratic principles to prevent criticism of Israel, regardless of its validity.

 

I suspect if Professor Salaita were teaching in 1930's Germany, he'd be the sort of patriot who would speak out against Nazi anti-Semitism. Of course, that would have ended his academic career just like his Twitter posts did to him here. But just because 21st century academia didn't send him to a gulag and an early death, doesn't excuse the wrong done and the likely legal and settlement bills that will be sent to every Illinois taxpayer by the taxman.

 

Come on, University Trustees, give Steve Salaita his job back. You'll be improving Native American studies at U of I. You will be saving us beleaguered taxpayers from paying for your folly. You will be enhancing, not disgracing free speech and academic freedom. Let Salaita Twitter away...and stop being twits.