Arbitrator orders reinstatement of tenured professor fired after campus protest

An arbitrator ruled last week that the California State University system violated the law when it dismissed a tenured professor over her participation in pro-Palestinian campus protests. The decision reduces the termination to a one-month suspension and orders back pay.

The ruling came after the professor appealed her November dismissal from San José State University. She had been the first tenured faculty member removed from a U.S. public university in connection with the protests that followed the start of Israel's war in Gaza.

Background of the case The termination followed a February 2024 campus protest and the professor's later participation in a student encampment. University officials also cited remarks she made at another event that they said encouraged the encampment.

A faculty committee had reviewed the incidents and recommended against dismissal, finding the penalty disproportionate. The arbitrator agreed, stating that the conduct did not rise to the level warranting termination of a tenured faculty member.

Professor's response and lawsuit The professor said she was relieved by the outcome and plans to continue advocating for Palestinian rights and free speech. She stated that the ruling shows the First Amendment is not dead at the university. She had filed a lawsuit in May in California superior court alleging violations of employment law and the First Amendment.

A university spokesperson declined to comment on personnel matters.