Students rally for DePaul professor who was fired over assignment about war in Gaza
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Protesters hit the DePaul University campus on Thursday to try to get an adjunct professor reinstated after she was fired over a student assignment about the war in Gaza.
An appeals board unanimously decided that by firing now-former adjunct professor Dr. Anne D'Aquino, DePaul violated her academic freedom. That recommendation is now going to the provost at DePaul for a final decision.
"I'm sad to no longer be teaching my students or see their final projects," said D'Aquino. "I'm sad that I don't get a chance to say properly goodbye to them or tell them how blown away I was by their creative and thoughtful work."
D'Aquino was surrounded by students as she spoke at the protest on campus Thursday. But she is not allowed back in her former classroom.
"My case is a reminder that if faculty and staff are not protected from the swift and severe reprimand of this university, students most certainly are not either," she said.
In early May, D'Aquino was teaching Health 194, Human Pathogens and Defense. The syllabus for the class said it explores microbiology research and its relevance to everyday life and current events, as well as microbiology knowledge to "big picture impacts on individuals and communities."
D'Aquino issued an optional assignment that asked students to focus on the biological effects of the war on Gaza. She said she wanted students to understand "the impacts of genocide on human biology."
D'Aquino chose her words referring to a report from the UN Human Rights Council in March, which found "reasonable grounds" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Two days after issuing that assignment, D'Aquino was fired.
DePaul Health Sciences Department Chair Dr. Sarah Connolly wrote in her termination letter: "Students expressed significant concern about the introduction of political matters into the class. This has negatively impacted the learning environment. Our faculty handbook states that faculty are obligated to avoid significant intrusion of material unrelated to the course."
D'Aquino disagrees with the assessment.
"The assignment was, in fact, related to the course and its objectives," D'Aquino said. "For months, scientists and physicians have been warning about the spread of infectious disease in Gaza – due to starvation, malnutrition, overcrowding, destruction of critical water and sanitation infrastructure."
Student supporters delivered a petition with almost 1,500 signatures calling for reversing D'Aquino's termination.
"We are demanding that she be reinstated," said third-year DePaul Ph.D. student John Gould.
A letter from the American Association of University Professors to DePaul University President Dr. Robert L. Manuel calls for the same. The letter, issued Wednesday, says the university must demonstrate "adequate cause" before dismissal, which the professors' association does not believe was done in D'Aquino's case.
The professors' association also said there was an "apparent absence of academic due process" and a violation of academic freedom.
DePaul DAquino Letter by Adam Harrington on Scribd
DePaul did not respond when asked about the letter.
D'Aquino hopes the provost agrees to reinstate her as the appeals board recommended.
"It would be great to be reinstated and be able to finish off this quarter – even though I know we're pretty much at the end of the quarter," she said. "I'd love to see my students' final projects. I'd love to say goodbye to them."
CBS 2 reached out to the university to find out when the provost has to respond to the board's recommendation – and to see if the university had any comment. The university would only say the review will be completed "soon."
D'Aquino is also planning to sue DePaul for breach of contract.