Professor from APSU Fired for Re-Sharing Social Media Post

Last week a full-time APSU professor was fired by Austin Peay State University for re-sharing a social media post. 

This morning I sent this letter to Austin Peay State University President, Michael Licari, his admin team, and to the Dean of Arts and Sciences: 

Dear Sir:

I graduated from APSU in 1971 with a Bachelors in English and Philosophy. Having grown up in a small town in Middle Tennessee with a not-so-great high school, I was delighted to be thrown into the world of ideas that I never knew existed until beginning my studies at Austin Peay.  

I had great professors: Richard Gildrie in History, Floyd Crenshaw in Philosophy, Malcolm Glass, Chuck Water, and others in the English Department. 

The nation at that time was in the midst of deep social and cultural tumult, and disagreements, both non-violent and violent, were common.  Through protests and moratoriums and hot classroom debates, one thing remained constant: the University Administration stood behind students and professors at Austin Peay as they engaged in the open and free expression of conflicting ideas that are the wellsprings of democracy. As long as actions and expressions remained lawful, the Administration did not intervene.

With the unjust firing of tenured Associate Professor, Darren Michael, I can see that those values are no longer shared by the Administration of my alma mater. Prof. Michael was seemingly fired without due process and without just cause.  The sharing of a social media post does not constitute any credible definition of just cause, and I suspect that it will not stand up in court where it is challenged. Such administrative action exhibits a reckless disregard for American values and ideals and university policies and traditions, as well exposing as a level of cowardly political kowtowing that, unfortunately, is all too common during this political Great Regression. 

Your decision has brought shame to Austin Peay and to every alumnus who learned there the shared American values that have made U. S. universities the envy of the world.  

I have been a vocal supporter of Austin Peay for over 50 years.  Sadly, that just ended.

I can only hope that Professor Michael has his day in court to find redress for this great injustice.  

Sincerely, 

James K. Horn, PhD