Four adjunct professors at the City University of New York say the university fired them because of their activism for Palestine. The administration’s decision to cut ties came as a surprise to both the faculty and their department heads, who had already recommended their reappointment and assigned them classes in fall — some of which had student waitlists. The affected professors, and faculty in support of them, said they remained in good standing with their academic departments and had great reviews from students.

The university has not given an official reason for ending its relationship with the professors, who all taught at Brooklyn College, and did not clarify their decision in a request for comment from The Intercept. The university terminated one professor and did not reappoint three of them.

“We’re filling in the blanks because they’ve told us nothing,” said one of the four affected professors, who requested anonymity for fear of being doxxed and harassed. “The only reason we know it’s related to Palestine is because that’s the only thing we have in common.” She and three others are fighting for reappointment and have filed grievances with Brooklyn College.

When she first received a notification in June from human resources that she would not be reappointed to teach, she flagged the person in her department who assigned her classes. “He thought it was a mistake — and that we must have checked the wrong box,” she said. That confusion made her believe the decision had nothing to do with her teaching ability. “The decision made by our departments was to hire us. The decision made by the Administration was to fire us,” she said. “It’s just sending a message that no one’s job is safe.”

“The decision made by our departments was to hire us. The decision made by the Administration was to fire us.”

The Professional Staff Congress, or PSC — the main labor union for CUNY faculty — and the CUNY chapter of Faculty for Justice in Palestine have both said the professors’ removal violates due process and free speech rights. The union said it has written at least four times to the college administration requesting more information and has not received clarity on why these professors were let go.

In a June 30 letter to CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, PSC President James Davis demanded the professors’ reinstatement and noted their non-reappointment and termination as “highly irregular.” Davis noted that the classes remained on the schedule, even when the instructors were let go. “In no case was the job performance of the instructor evaluated as unsatisfactory. In no case did the college inform the........

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