On April 25, 2025, Portland State University issued a 30-day termination without cause notice to Dr. Nic Francisco-Kaho’onei, immediately placing them on administrative leave and cutting off access to university systems. While the university claims this was “not disciplinary,” we believe Nic’s termination was a targeted act of retaliation against their leadership in social justice, student support, and advocacy for Palestinian liberation.

Nic has led the Women’s Resource Center with unwavering care for nearly three years. They are a member of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, and they have been a fierce advocate for students, gender justice, and community-rooted campus activism. This decision—authorized by Dean of Student Life Taylor Burke—not only lacks transparency but undermines the very values PSU purports to uphold. This is not student-centered leadership. This is retaliation.

At a time when student support systems are already strained, enrollment continues to fall, and with new leadership just beginning at the Queer Resource Center, this sudden removal of another critical leader is destabilizing and irresponsible.

The dismissal of the WRC Director comes at a time of unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration on vulnerable people—women, queer and trans people, immigrants, disabled folks, and more. The WRC and QRC began co-locating in the same space in the Fall, partly due to safety concerns and partly to build capacity. This unheaval leaves both resource centers more unstable than ever. With a new Director of the QRC about to start, what message does this send?

We demand:

• The immediate reinstatement of Dr. Nic Francisco-Kaho’onei as Director of the Women’s Resource Center

• An institutional commitment to protect staff advocating for justice and Palestinian liberation

PSU must not be a place where speaking out for justice puts your job at risk.

We urge PSU students, faculty, staff along with community members to send a letter to PSU and fill out the petition.

If you are a member of the PSU community and have been impacted by Nic’s great work at the university, you can also submit support testimony here: tinyurl.com/FightBackNic