������ýapp�ٷ�

On November 6, 2024 – the day after the 2024 presidential election – Professor James Bowley sent an email to the three students enrolled in his “Abortion and Religions” class canceling that day’s session to “mourn and process this racist fascist country[.]” On November 8, Interim Provost Stephanie Rolph informed Bowley that he had been placed on temporary administrative leave pending review, specifically for using his “Millsaps email account to share personal opinions with [his] students.” ������ýapp�ٷ� wrote Millsaps on December 18, explaining that Bowley’s expression of opinion falls squarely within Millsaps’ policy that when “speaking or writing as a citizen, the teacher is free from institutional censorship or discipline[.]” FIREurged Millsaps to drop the review, allow Bowley to resume teaching, and decline to meet out further discipline. On December 27, a grievance committee determined that Millsaps could not identify any policy that Bowley had violated and recommended his immediate reinstatement. Millsaps President Frank Neville rejected the recommendation and on January 14, fired Bowley for not exercising restraint and failing to clarify that his views were not that of the college.