Melissa Landa, who has taught at the University of Maryland’s school of education for ten years, filed a formal complaint this spring over her treatment by the chair and associate chair of her department, who—she claims—discouraged her participation in academic groups that defend the Jewish state and upbraided her for traveling to Israel over Passover, even though she had made appropriate arrangements in advance. The university rejected her claims, but then, despite its no-retaliation policy, decided not to renew her contract. There is now a Title IX investigation into her case. Jonathan Marks comments:
The timing of Landa’s problems with her department, coinciding with her increasing visibility as an anti-BDS activist, is suspicious. So is the abrupt dismissal of an award-winning professor, who was scheduled to teach in the fall, just after she had filed a grievance against her department chair and associate chair. [But] the main evidence that Landa was fired because of her stance on Israel in the academy so far remains Landa’s own testimony, and that isn’t enough. A thorough investigation is warranted.
Thus far, Landa’s story has been covered by, apart from the [school’s] student newspaper, only Jewish or conservative outlets. It’s time people started paying attention.
Read more on Commentary: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/culture-civilization/education/cost-pro-israel-activism-melissa-landa-bds/