Salaita Breaks His Silence

Steven Salaita has broken his silence. Here is his statement regarding what has happened to him, professionally and personally, as a result of the University of Illinois’ decision to terminate him from his tenured position.  It appears that even thought the University of Illinois is prepared to settle with him financially, Salaita will accept nothing other than reinstatement.  That is certainly the right call from the perspective of the academic community, but litigation, if pursued, will extract a high personal and financial tool on Salaita and his family, and will require substantial support from his fellow academics to succeed. This could be a landmark case on academic freedom, and the extent to which private donors will be permitted to set the agenda for speech on the university, the university’s hiring decisions and methods of teaching used by faculty.