Earlier this week we reported that the University of Arkansas School of Law had hired South Carolina Law faculty member Emily Suski as its new dean. Now the law school has withdrawn its offer “based on feedback from key external stakeholders.” According to an Arkansas state legislator, the law school was responding to legislators upset that Suski had signed a Supreme Court amicus brief regarding the rights of transgender athletes. And apparently Governor Huckabee approves. Putting aside the many concerns I have about this maneuver, I feel terrible for the human toll on Suski and sad for the law school’s faculty, staff, and students. They are all pawns in this cultural war.
Arkansas Withdraws Dean Offer After Political Pressure
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A disgraceful and petty act of vengeance for no reason. A scholar doing what scholars do. What happened to academic freedom and, since this is a state university, the first amendment right of freedom of speech and the right to due process guaranteed to state officials by the 14th Amendment? I think future candidates will, and should, think twice before accepting this position.
That’s a surprise.