ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The American Association of University Professors has placed Muhlenberg College on its list of censured administrations, citing its firing of a professor over her views on the Israel-Hamas war.
In late June, the AAUP’s governing council voted to place the college on its list based on the findings of a report an AAUP committee inquiry regarding actions taken by the school’s administration to suspend, then fire professor Maura Finkelstein.
Finkelstein was a tenured associate professor of the school's department of sociology and anthropology.
According to AAUP, Finkelstein’s suspension was the outcome of an equal opportunity investigation triggered by a student complaint regarding Finkelstein’s social media post that criticized Zionism — the effort of Jews to regain and retain their biblical homeland.
Finkelstein’s dismissal was based on the same post, AAUP states.
Months later, the administration permitted Finkelstein to appeal the decision with a faculty hearing committee, which unanimously found the administration failed to demonstrate adequate cause for the dismissal and recommended the administration reconsider the decision.
The administration responded that Finkelstein’s conduct “could be viewed” as “flagrant disregard” of college policies but declined to take further action against her because she had resigned as part of an out-of-court settlement with the college.
Muhlenberg did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment Thursday.
In 2024, Muhlenberg spokesman Todd A. Lineburger said, “Muhlenberg College remains steadfastly devoted to principles of academic freedom.”
"Muhlenberg does not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia or any other form of harassment, bigotry or abuse, nor any incitement to violence or calls for genocide,” Lineburger said then.
'AAUP fighting back'
On Thursday, the AAUP said faculty punishment by academic institutions is on the rise nationwide.
Said the AAUP on Instagram: “Since Oct 7, punishment for faculty speaking out on Gaza have surged. THE AAUP IS FIGHTING BACK.”
She also criticized “academic hypocrisy” regarding Palestinian territory.
“I think the silence within academia has been part of the reason that academia has been so dismantled over the past few years,” Finkelstein said in a July 15 Instagram post.
Report's conclusion
The report from the AAUP concluded the Muhlenberg administration, in initially dismissing Finkelstein without demonstrating cause before an elected faculty body, acted in violation of key AAUP standards.
Based in Washington, D.C., AAUP is a union and membership association of faculty and academic professionals.
It said the college administration’s “hasty” action, facilitated by the monitoring and dissemination of Finkelstein’s social media posts by college administrators and staff of the campus chapter of Hillel International (a Jewish student organization), severely impaired the climate for academic freedom at Muhlenberg College.
The report also found that the college’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, developed by outside consultants, do not sufficiently protect academic freedom and due process, nor do they comport with widely accepted standards of academic governance.
According to AAUP, removal of censure can only happen “with the cooperation of an institution’s administration and after pertinent institutional policies have been brought into alignment with AAUP-recommended standards."
