U of I Asks Court To Dismiss Salaita Lawsuit
Steven Salaita speaks during a news conference in Champaign in September. U of I lawyers on Wednesday filed a motion asking a federal judge to throw out the lawsuit filed by Salaita over the lost job offer. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
The University of Illinois has asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by professor Steven Salaita, who lost a job offer from the school over profane, anti-Israel Twitter messages.
Lawyers for the U of I Wednesday filed a motion arguing that Steven Salaita had no "binding contract'' to go work for the university.
Salaita lawyer Anand Swaminathan told The News-Gazette that the motion ignores normal academic hiring practices.
Salaita accepted an offer in 2013 to teach at the Urbana-Champaign campus starting in August 2014. But the offer was rescinded over sometimes-profane, anti-Israel Twitter messages he sent last summer.
His lawsuit argues he'd already been hired and his speech was protected.
The university has argued that his hire did not yet have the required approval of university trustees.
Links
- Judge Denies UI Request To Dismiss Salaita FOIA Lawsuit
- Prof. Salaita Sues U of I Leaders, Board Of Trustees
- U of I Trustees: Salaita Case Will Not Be Reconsidered
- UI Faculty Association President Calls Salaita Report “A Game Changer.”
- Israeli Diplomat Discusses Mideast Politics, Salaita Controversy
- Leading U of I Faculty Want Killeen To Address Salaita ‘Damage’
- Salaita Sues U of I Over Emails, Expects More Legal Action
- Prof. Salaita Pleads His Case In Chicago
- Report: Prof. Salaita Cancels UIC Address
- Columbia Law Professor: Salaita Un-Hiring Illegal On Constitutional, Contractual Grounds
- Salaita Supporters Say Would-Be Professor’s Case Is Far From Over
- Columbia Law Prof Argues For A Salaita Lawsuit, Trustee Kennedy Defends Vote
- Trustees Reject Salaita Hire On 8-1 Vote