The national committee responsible for reviewing complaints made against universities alleged to have violated principles of academic freedom considered a report faulting University of Nebraska administrators for bowing to political pressure this weekend.
But the outcome of the Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure meeting in Washington, D.C., was not made public on Sunday, as the American Association of University Professors wants more time to respond to a letter sent by NU on May 25.
Once it formally responds to NU’s letter, the national faculty organization will publicly announce whether the committee recommended sanctioning UNL’s administration, according to a source familiar with the process.
The AAUP said in a May 10 report that UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green and Executive Vice Chancellor Donde Plowman violated university policy and broke established norms when they reassigned graduate student and lecturer Courtney Lawton last November.
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A report issued following an investigation concluded UNL administrators removed Lawton from the classroom in an effort to end a prolonged reaction against the university in the wake of Lawton’s protest of Turning Point USA last August, video of which was widely shared on social media.
In doing so, the investigation determined, the university failed to provide Lawton with an administrative hearing outlined in NU policy — action the report said was tantamount to summary dismissal.
Green's criticism of the investigation was sent to the national organization on May 25 — one week before Committee A was scheduled to meet — in a letter saying the findings were based on “misleading and inaccurate information.â€
NU’s May 25 letter reiterated that the AAUP had failed to include the corrections offered by Green and requested that the organization re-evaluate its conclusions “based on a review of the complete and factual situation.â€
An AAUP official declined to comment on the letter last week.
The vote of Committee A could determine whether UNL is placed on the AAUP's "Censure List," which designates universities that have violated principles of academic freedom and due process.
The committee's recommendation will go before the AAUP's delegate assembly later this month for a vote by the membership.