Arbitrator Reinstates Fired San José State Professor, Orders 1-Month Suspension and Backpay
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29
Arbitrator Reinstates Fired San José State Professor, Orders 1-Month Suspension and Backpay
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29
Summary
Sang Hea Kil, fired in November as the first tenured professor dismissed from a US public university after Gaza-war protests, won reinstatement after an arbitrator found California State University violated the law.
The ruling cut her punishment to a one-month suspension, saying the allegations did not justify terminating a tenured faculty member for conduct tied to free-speech activity.
Kil is still pursuing a lawsuit filed in May, alleging CSU used discriminatory and retaliatory measures to silence her pro-Palestinian activism and violated employment law and the First Amendment.
Her firing grew out of a February 2024 campus protest and later encampment participation; internal documents showed a faculty committee had already concluded dismissal was disproportionate.
The case has become a prominent test of how US universities handled pro-Palestinian campus protests, with Kil among several faculty and staff suspended, investigated or pushed out.
A professor won her job back after being fired for activism. Is this a victory for free speech or a warning?
After a professor’s firing was overturned, where do universities now draw the line between free speech and misconduct?
SJSU Professor Dr. Sang Hea Kil Reinstated After Arbitration: A Turning Point for Faculty Rights and Free Speech
Overview
Dr. Sang Hea Kil, a tenured professor at San José State University, faced university scrutiny after her involvement in pro-Palestinian protests in early 2024. Following initial allegations of policy violations and disruption, her case was reviewed by the Faculty Hearing Committee, which unanimously found that dismissal was unwarranted and recommended no disciplinary action. Despite this, the university president attempted to terminate her, prompting strong union opposition. Ultimately, an arbitrator upheld the committee’s findings, reinstating Dr. Kil and highlighting the importance of independent faculty review in protecting academic freedom and resisting administrative overreach.