Straws in the Wind - Part 117

From Clarksville Now: CLARKSVILLE, TN – At [last] Thursday’s Austin Peay State University Faculty Senate meeting, an unexpected resolution was proposed in response to the termination-turned-suspension of tenured theater professor Darren Michael. Michael was originally terminated for resharing a post on social media about the Charlie Kirk shooting that displayed a 2023 headline, “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment.” In response, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn shared Michael’s post, along with his university bio, and stated, “What do you say, Austin Peay State University?” tagging APSU.

Michael’s status was later shifted to suspension after the administration found that it had not followed due process when firing him, specifically APSU’s Policy on Academic Tenure and Termination of Faculty Members for Adequate Cause. The policy states that any termination requires convening a hearing committee with six tenured faculty members – three appointed by the Faculty Senate and three by the president.

At the Sept. 18 Faculty Senate meeting, University President Mike Licari admitted that due process had not been followed, according to member Bill Rayburn...

Full story at https://clarksvillenow.com/local/apsu-faculty-senate-responds-to-actions-against-tenured-professor-in-charlie-kirk-case/.