Linfield University: Tenured Professor Terminated Without Due Process for Criticizing University

On March 29, 2021, Linfield University professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner posted a Twitter thread criticizing the university for allegedly mishandling sexual abuse allegations. Pollack-Pelzner also accused Linfield president Miles K. Davis of making anti-Semitic remarks, which Davis denied. On April 27, Linfield abruptly fired Pollack-Pelzner, a tenured professor, without due process, citing “false public accusations that have, sadly, harmed the university.” The next day, FIRE sent a letter to the university calling on it to reinstate Pollack-Pelzner and reaffirm its promises of free expression. Linfield refused, claiming that it fired Pollack-Pelzner as an employee, not a faculty member. Pollack-Pelzner has since filed a lawsuit against the university.