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After Public Criticism, Marquette Removes Mural and Announces Faculty Departure
Earlier this week, Marquette University in its Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) depicting Assata Shakur (also known as Joanne Chesimard), a woman who escaped from prison and fled to Cuba after her conviction for murdering a New Jersey state trooper in 1973, earning her a spot on the FBI鈥檚 most wanted list. Now the that the director of the GSRC, Susannah Bartlow, is 鈥渘o longer an employee with Marquette University,鈥 leading media to presume because of the controversial mural.
Although the mural had been on display in the GSRC for several months, it only recently received increased attention and criticism鈥攊ncluding from professor , whom Marquette is currently trying to fire for his protected expression. (FIREhas written to Marquette to explain why that move is inconsistent with Marquette鈥檚 stated commitment to free expression and its own policies promising due process.) Claiming in a statement that the mural was in 鈥溾 (it was, in fact, in the building practically ), Marquette subsequently took speedy action to remove the mural鈥攁nd possibly to remove Bartlow. Current and former have circulated and signed a to reinstate Bartlow.
The university鈥檚 chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority helped create the mural, and the sorority鈥檚 communications chairman, Leona Dotson, said that the the mural before it was painted. Marquette is free to change its mind about what kind of art it wants on its walls, but its eagerness to flip-flop at any hint of disapproval from the public should disturb anyone who values free and open debate. Unfortunately, however, this is all too common鈥攃olleges鈥 extreme fear of controversy too often leads them to, for example, punish students for speech that is clearly protected under the First Amendment.
Marquette also has the leeway to fire administrators for how they perform in their job functions. But if this incident in fact prompted the university to fire Bartlow not only as director of the GSRC but also as a , that would be wholly inconsistent with principles of academic freedom鈥攋ust like in McAdams鈥檚 case. Given Marquette鈥檚 treatment of McAdams and its previous hostility towards certain viewpoints, it鈥檚 not unreasonable to suspect that perhaps Bartlow鈥檚 sudden departure wasn鈥檛 voluntary. Absent evidence to the contrary (such as a clear statement from the university that the decision was unrelated to the mural), faculty speech is likely to be chilled at Marquette, as faculty members will conclude that their involvement with controversial speech could end their employment at the university in just a matter of days.
FIRE will watch the case for clarification on Marquette鈥檚 actions; check back to The Torch for updates.
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