BUZZ
Key Takeaways
- The University of Arkansas rescinded its job offer to Emily Suski for the law school dean position after pushback from Republican legislators over her advocacy for transgender athletes and support for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
- Key lawmakers, including Senate President Bart Hester, expressed concerns about Suski's influence on future legal professionals, asserting that Arkansas does not want leaders who do not recognize biological differences between genders.
- The decision faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers and various civil rights organizations, who viewed it as an infringement on academic freedom and a politically motivated attack on faculty expressing progressive views.
- Suski expressed disappointment over the decision, stating it reflected external pressure rather than her qualifications, and the controversy highlights the ongoing tensions between political ideologies and educational institutions.
The University of Arkansas has rescinded an employment offer to the new dean of its law school after Republican state lawmakers objected to her advocacy on behalf of transgender athletes.
The decision came less than a week after U of A made the announcement that Emily Suski had been hired for the position.
“After receiving feedback from key external stakeholders about the fit between Professor Suski and the university’s vacancy, the university has decided to go a different direction in filling the vacancy,” the U of A Office of the Provost posted on Jan. 14.
The main point of contention is Suski being “one of 17 law professors” who signed on to a “friend of the court brief” supporting those challenging West Virginia’s law that bans biological males from competing on female sports teams, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports.
Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester also noted Suski’s support for now-Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying “It’s scary that this person might have had influence on the next generation of lawyers, the next generation of judges in Arkansas.”
Hester added “There’s no way the people of Arkansas want somebody […] that doesn’t understand the difference between a man and a woman,” according to the Arkansas Advocate.
While not explicitly endorsing the withdrawal of Suski’s offer, the offices of the Republican governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and House speaker nonetheless applauded the university’s decision.
“Governor [Sarah Huckabee] Sanders appreciates the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, for reaching the commonsense decision on this matter in the best interests of students,” spokesperson Sam Dubke said.
On the other side, Democratic State Rep. Nicole Clowney called the withdrawal of the job offer “horrifying, unprecedented, and [an] absolutely unconstitutional abuse of state power,” and accused GOP lawmakers of threatening to withhold funding based on the political ideologies of academics.
Hester denied that claim.
Arkansas House Minority Leader Andrew Collins said he “can’t stand the McCarthyite bullying from a group of right-wing legislators who seem dead-set on sending Arkansas back to the Dark Ages.”
Suski said she was “disappointed and hurt” by U of A’s decision.
“I have been informed that the decision was not in any way a reflection of my qualifications to serve as dean, but rather the result of influence from external individuals,” she said.
Organizations that ripped the decision include the ACLU, FIRE, and the American Association of University Professors.
“This sends a chilling message to every faculty member: stay silent or risk your career,” said Arkansas ACLU Executive Director Holly Dickson. “This is an attempt to carve out the heart of the First Amendment and replace it with political loyalty tests.”
FIRE Legal Director Will Creeley blasted U of A’s “shameful capitulation to political pressure” saying “The message to every dean, professor, and researcher is unmistakable: Your job hinges on whether politicians approve of your views.”
The AAUP’s Isaac Kamola called U of A’s backtrack on the offer “really chilling,” adding it “fits with broader attacks on academic freedom in recent years and the start of the second Trump administration.”
According to the original offer, Suski was slated to be in her position at least until 2031 and would make $350,000 a year.
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