A part-time biology professor has been fired by DePaul University over an optional assignment that asked students to write about the biological impacts of ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
DePaul, which is a Catholic school, has several anti-Israel students who have engaged in various forms of campus protests in recent months.
The school justified the professor’s firing by claiming the assignment was political and unrelated to the course material.
FOX News reported:
DePaul University fires biology professor over assignment about Israel-Hamas warDePaul University says it has fired a part-time biology professor after she gave an optional assignment to students last month asking them to write about the impact of “genocide in Gaza on human health and biology.”An investigation into the assignment offered by Anne d’Aquino “found it had negatively affected the learning environment by introducing extraneous political material that was outside the scope of the academic subject as outlined in the curriculum,” according to the school.”The class was provided a new instructor, and the faculty member has been released from their appointment as a part-time faculty member,” DePaul University said in a statement to The Associated Press, adding that some students “expressed significant concern” about politics in a science class on how microorganisms cause disease.The Chicago-based school also said an email with the assignment showed support for people “resisting the normalization of ethnic cleansing.”Around the same time, DePaul administrators were grappling with an anti-Israel encampment on campus.
Here’s a local video report featuring a statement from the professor:
More details from the Associated Press:
Anne d’Aquino told students in May that they could write about the impact of “genocide in Gaza on human health and biology.” The theme of the spring class at the Chicago school was how microorganisms cause disease.DePaul said some students “expressed significant concern” about politics in a science class.“We investigated the matter, spoke with the faculty member, and found it had negatively affected the learning environment by introducing extraneous political material that was outside the scope of the academic subject as outlined in the curriculum,” DePaul said Friday in a statement.The school noted an email with the assignment expressed support for people “resisting the normalization of ethnic cleansing.”…About 50 people protested last Thursday in support of her, waving Palestinian flags, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Professor d’Aquino played some academic sleight of hand here. By including the words ‘genocide’ and ‘resisting,’ she built in a conclusion about which side she is on in this issue.
The fact that she is getting so much support from anti-Israel students confirms this. Had she taken a more objective approach, she would have become a target of the protesters.
Featured image via YouTube.
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