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Case ‘may deter universities from punishing faculty for their protected expression,’ expert says
A former Northwestern University journalism professor has filed a federal lawsuit against the university and federal officials, alleging he was unlawfully punished for his pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Legal experts say this case could have broader implications for faculty free speech and academic freedom.
Steven Thrasher, a former associate professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, alleges the university denied him tenure and fired him because of his public advocacy regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
According to the lawsuit, Northwestern suspended Thrasher from teaching, filed criminal charges against him, and launched disciplinary investigations. When a faculty committee cleared him and found the university violated his academic freedom, Northwestern fired him anyway by denying tenure.
The lawsuit alleges that Northwestern breached its contractual obligations and violated Thrasher’s civil rights.
“I am suing them because—as my attorneys and I have shown in our filing and as we will prove in court—they have robbed me of my ‘successful academic career and livelihood because of a joint project of Northwestern and elements of the federal government to manufacture consent for their participation in the Zionist colonial project in Palestine,’” the professor wrote in an op-ed published by Literary Hub.
The case has drawn attention from free speech advocates amid ongoing debates over how universities respond to faculty speech concerning the Gaza conflict.
Zach Greenberg, director of Faculty Legal Defense at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told The College Fix, “It appears the university may have retaliated against the professor for his advocacy regarding the Gaza conflict.”
However, he said universities may still discipline faculty members for conduct that violates neutral institutional policies.
“Illegal conduct that violates the university’s neutral time, place, and manner restrictions could be punished by the university; that would not raise First Amendment issues,” Greenberg said.
“Meanwhile, protected political protests would usually protect faculty expression outside of their official teaching duties. Faculty expressing themselves on issues of pedagogical relevance to the class subject is protected, but it depends on what the nature of the discipline is and what exactly the university is punishing him for,” he said.
He added that the lawsuit could influence how colleges and universities approach faculty discipline involving political speech.
“It may deter universities from punishing faculty for their protected expression, especially regarding the Gaza conflict,” Greenberg said.
“It’s a big issue. Depending on the monetary settlement or if the professor wants to be reinstated, it can inspire other professors to stand up for their own rights as well,” he said.
Greenberg also said the litigation comes as colleges nationwide continue to struggle with an increase in politically charged campus activism surrounding the Israel-Hamas war.
“There has definitely been a spike in politically conscious issues with campus protest,” he said.
He also said FIRE continues to monitor similar disputes involving faculty members across the country.
“There are a lot of faculty members being punished for their social media expression online, what they say in class, in addition to their protected protest off campus. It’s a huge issue right now. I’m still tracking the cases,” he told The Fix.
The College Fix reached out to Northwestern University, Steven Thrasher, and Thrasher’s legal team for comment on the lawsuit and the allegations but did not receive a response before publication.
Northwestern began investigating Thrasher after he clashed with police at an anti-Israel demonstration, The College Fix previously reported.
Thrasher attended a “Gaza solidarity encampment” in April 2024 and gave a speech that began with “words from two comrades.”
One of them was Ahmed Hassan, whose X account is littered with praise for Islamic terrorist groups and the Iranian military.
The lawsuit is one of several recent legal challenges involving faculty members who claim they faced discipline for expressing views about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In June, for example, an arbitrator ruled that San José State University must reinstate Professor Sang Hea Kil, who was fired last year for her participation in pro-Palestinian student protests, The College Fix previously reported.
