Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) suspended professor Gregory Schulz days after he published an article criticizing the university. The administration suspended him without affording him an opportunity to answer to the misconduct allegations, according to Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
In an article published on February 14 by Christian News titled “Woke Dysphoria at Concordia.” Schulz accused CUW of “coming under the influence of Woke-ism (that is, a potent cocktail of Progressivism, NeoPragmatism, and Marxism).” According to him, that contradicts the university’s Lutheran principles.
On Friday, February 18, the university’s president William Cario emailed Schulz asking to meet that afternoon. Schulz did not make the meeting because he had classes to teach, so he asked to reschedule the meeting for the following Monday.
Cairo refused to reschedule and sent Schulz a notice informing him that he was suspended pending an investigation. He was accused of misconduct because the article was “conduct unbecoming a Christian,” disclosed confidential information, and violated certain limitations on academic freedom.
Schulz was suspended from teaching, banned from campus, and prohibited from contacting any member of the CUW community, including students and colleagues, without Cario’s permission. He was also threatened with further sanctions and termination if he did not publicly recant the article.
In a letter demanding Schulz reinstatement, FIRE notes that the suspension was conducted without due process, which the university promised in Schulz contract. He was not properly informed about the allegations nor was he given ample time to respond to the allegations.
We obtained a copy of the letter for you here.
FIRE also claims that the suspension was a violation of academic freedom, which includes the freedom to criticize an institution’s leadership.
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