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University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft said Wednesday she will move immediately to fire suspended professor Sami Al-Arian, a controversial figure whom federal authorities have linked to terrorists.
Genshaft said the firing, a rarity in higher education, has nothing to do with academic freedom because Al-Arian's public comments were unrelated to his academic specialty of computer engineering. She said her decision was based on insubordination and breach of contract.
Al-Arian violated his employment contract by failing to make clear that remarks made in off-campus speeches reflected personal views and not those of the university, Genshaft said. He violated an agreement with USF administrators by returning to campus after being put on paid leave, she said.
Al-Arian was banned from campus after he appeared in late September on the Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor. The show's report on his ties to terrorists - allegations he has vehemently denied - elicited hundreds of angry phone calls to USF and at least a dozen death threats.
"The Constitution guarantees his right to speech, but it doesn't insulate him from the consequences of that speech," Genshaft said. "With academic freedom and freedom of speech comes academic responsibility and duty. He has not fulfilled his obligations or duties."
Genshaft made her decision several hours after USF's board of trustees met in an emergency session and recommended Al-Arian's firing.
An attorney hired by the university to assess its legal options told board members they had ample grounds to fire the professor.
"The university is under no obligation to ignore Dr. Al-Arian's disregard for the university's policies and the lawful directives of its administrators," said Thomas Gonzalez, a Tampa lawyer.
He said Al-Arian's continued employment compromises campus security and disrupts the university's orderly operation. It also alienates alumni and damages fundraising, he said.
"Corporate donors report pressure from peers and clients to curtail involvement with the university," Gonzalez said....