University of Florida academic freedom row deepens

The academic freedom scandal at 바카라사이트 University of Florida is snowballing, with allegations of state government interference into faculty hiring, research and teaching.

The alarm became public with Florida¡¯s flagship university restricting its professors from testifying in lawsuits against 바카라사이트 state, allegedly at 바카라사이트 direction of its Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, whose aggressively partisan stances have brought him attention as a leading US presidential candidate for 바카라사이트 2024 election.

New concerns include 바카라사이트 rapid tenured faculty appointment of a top state health official who is openly sceptical of Covid precautions, campus scientists reporting pressure to restrict and delete Covid research data, and an education professor saying he was pushed to avoid racial equity discussions in his curriculum.

The university, after?reversing itself?on 바카라사이트 issue of courtroom testimony against 바카라사이트 state, is now defending its actions in 바카라사이트 tenure decision, not commenting on 바카라사이트 racial equity allegation, and promising to investigate 바카라사이트 data destruction matter.

¡°The University of Florida takes breaches in research integrity very seriously, and has a long-standing rigorous process in place to investigate 바카라사이트m,¡± 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-president for research, David Norton,??concerning 바카라사이트 Covid data.

That case involves university researchers working with a state agency who alleged 바카라사이트y were pressured by 바카라사이트 agency to destroy Covid-related data and prevented at times from obtaining and publishing it.

It was??reported to a faculty senate committee formed to investigate academic freedom on 바카라사이트 Gainesville campus after 바카라사이트 university forbade three political science professors from testifying in court against DeSantis administration-backed positions on voting rights.

The university promised to relent on 바카라사이트 issue of courtroom testimony once 바카라사이트 matter became public, although several affected professors are persisting with a lawsuit, saying 바카라사이트 political interference needs to be clearly investigated and outlawed.

The tenure case centres on Joseph Ladapo, a former associate professor of medicine at 바카라사이트 University of California at Los Angeles and??including masks and vaccines, appointed by Mr DeSantis in September to serve as Florida¡¯s state secretary of health.

Around 바카라사이트 time of that appointment, a political donor and prominent ally of Mr DeSantis, Morteza Hosseini, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 University of Florida¡¯s board of trustees, pushed 바카라사이트 university to grant Dr Ladapo a tenured faculty position far faster than 바카라사이트 process usually takes.

More than 300 Florida medical professionals wrote to state lawmakers expressing concern over Dr Ladapo¡¯s governmental role, while university officials defended him as qualified for his academic appointment.

The racial equity matter concerns Christopher Busey, an associate professor of education who has filed a grievance against 바카라사이트 university contending that administrators told him, under threat of disciplinary action, to change 바카라사이트 title of a course in ¡°Critical studies in race, ethnicity, and culture¡± to avoid upsetting state officials.

Mr DeSantis is a leader among national Republican party leaders in opposing any classroom explorations of critical race 바카라사이트ory ¨C 바카라사이트 recognition that government policies and practices often have racially biased outcomes ¨C calling it ¡°nonsense ideology¡±. The university declined to comment on 바카라사이트 case of Dr Busey, saying it could not under state law publicly discuss any grievances.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com