The Fired Four: Dissent at CUNY

posted on: Aug 6, 2025

By: Katie Beason / Arab America Contributing Writer

In late June 2025, the City University of New York abruptly terminated or declined to reappoint four adjunct professors at Brooklyn College—professors whose only common denominator: vocal support for Palestinian rights and participation in pro‑Palestinian protest activity. According to union leaders, department chairs had recommended reappointment based on excellent teaching records and available courses—yet the administration summarily reversed those decisions without warning.

The Professional Staff Congress (PSC)—the 30,000‑member faculty and staff union representing CUNY—slammed the move as a “highly irregular,” “ideological purge.” Its Delegate Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on June 26 opposing the dismissals and calling for immediate reinstatement and transparency. PSC President James Davis demanded that Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez reverse course and adhere to due process.

The Fired Four

No job performance issues, misconduct allegations, or documented violations of policy were presented to the faculty or their departments. The only shared characteristic among the four adjunct instructors was public protest against Israel’s policies—backing Palestinian liberation, endorsing BDS resolutions, participating in encampments, or protecting students in encampments from arrest.

That absence of explanation has led activists to argue that CUNY’s administration is weaponizing its weak adjunct job security to stifle pro‑Palestine speech. As one anonymous professor put it: “The decision made by the departments was to hire us. The decision made by the administration was to fire us. … It’s just sending a message that no one’s job is safe.”

The June Protest

Student groups, activism networks, and local advocacy organizations quickly rallied around the affected faculty. On July 8, CUNY4Palestine and allies held a press conference outside CUNY’s central offices, demanding reinstatement of both the four professors and student organizer Hadeeqa Arzoo Malik, suspended for a year from City College after leading SJP protests.

Speakers at the rally carried banners declaring: “Support the 5 Demands,” “No Schools Left in Gaza,” and “Silence is complicity.” They criticized CUNY’s extra‑legal response to protest organizing—emphasizing how Malik’s suspension and the adjunct firings form part of a coordinated effort to suppress pro‑Palestine voices.

Solidarity and JVP

Notably, over 100 Jewish CUNY faculty and staff signed an open letter on June 30 strongly condemning the dismissals. They argued that firing them accomplished nothing toward campus safety or combating hate—it only served to punish political dissent. The letter demanded reinstatement and respect for departmental autonomy.

The Academic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace issued its own statement on July 15, asserting that supporting Palestinian freedom is not antisemitic. They maintained that these terminations violate academic freedom and democratic commitments in higher education.

The July Testimony

On July 15, Chancellor Matos Rodríguez testified before the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee alongside counterparts from Berkeley and Georgetown. Asked by Representative Elise Stefanik about campus antisemitism, he stated, “We have terminated individuals of the faculty or staff for violating our policies on anti‑Semitism.”

That statement strongly implies that the adjunct professors were accused—implicitly or explicitly—of antisemitic conduct. Yet, according to union sources and faculty advocates, no such allegations were presented at the time of dismissal, and no investigations were revealed.

In a broader context, the Chancellor also affirmed that CUNY had disciplined three students and four faculty members for participating in Gaza protest encampments, and had enforced a zero‑tolerance policy on encampments that were peaceful expressions of dissent.

Free Speech vs. Security

Democratic members of Congress pushed back against the hearing as a politically motivated smear campaign. PSC President Davis specifically called the hearing “another cynical attempt to use real anxiety about rising antisemitism to ambush university leaders.” Democratic Rep. Mark Takano described it as a kangaroo court, saying the panel prioritized ideology over genuine student safety.

Moving Forward: The Road Ahead

Reinstatement demands remain alive in public pressure campaigns. The PSC continues to write letters asking the Chancellor for transparency, citing the union’s belief that the dismissals are “retaliatory” and lack legitimate cause. Brooklyn College and CUNY systemwide have remained largely silent, refusing even to confirm whether any formal investigations occurred.

Other professors across the US who have now been fired have instead elected to quit. This week, Rashid Khalidi left Columbia University, canceling a course on the Modern Middle East due to severe censorship. He instead is offering the course publicly.

Meanwhile, thousands of students and faculty join rallies, petition drives, and public statements calling for the affected professors’ reinstatement. As the academic year approaches, the new cohort of adjunct hires may face further chilling effects unless policy gaps are addressed, and student protest is not criminalized.

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