rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/reinstate-dr-david-walton-at-lake-sumter-state-college?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-reinstate-dr-david-walton-at-lake-sumter-state-college' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> United Faculty of Florida https://actionnetwork.org/groups/united-faculty-of-florida-2 https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/184/291/normal/LSSC_picture.jpeg On June 3 , 2021, Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) President, Dr. Stanley Sidor, terminated Dr. David Walton, a continuing contract Assistant Professor of Anthropology, elected leader, and bargaining team member of the UFF-LSSC chapter. The President’s actions were illegal and unprecedented among Florida colleges as they were carried out without just cause or due process. His actions threaten the job security of every faculty member on continuing contract at LSSC. On June 21, 2021, the United Faculty of Florida filed a petition for an administrative hearing to rule on the validity of the facts proposed for this termination. This hearing must take place within 60 days. The United Faculty of Florida does not view Dr. Sidor’s illegal actions as an isolated incident. The same week Dr. Walton was unjustly terminated, Barbra Feingold, a Board of Trustees member serving Florida Atlantic University spoke in strong support of a proposal that would empower Trustees to constitute final action when awarding or denying tenure to faculty. Feingold said, “One paragraph doesn’t tell us a lot about a professor, his viewpoints, his research, his political affiliations or potential donations…I’m concerned about tenure moving forward. I speak not just for myself but for the governor.” Additionally, just weeks prior to these events, the state legislature passed House Bill 233 (HB233), mandating that faculty share their political and intellectual viewpoints with their employers and the state, and allowing students to record in the classroom without the consent of the faculty member or their peers. HB 233 is a draconian measure that will have a long-lasting chill on college and university campuses across the state. These recent events, coupled with the legislature’s efforts to decertify higher education unions, present a clear, coordinated attack on tenure and academic freedom by Florida legislators, Board of Trustees members, and now, college Presidents. Take action today and urge LSSC President Sidor and the Board of Trustees to stop breaking the law, to uphold the principles of higher education, and to reinstate Dr. Walton. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/reinstate-dr-david-walton-at-lake-sumter-state-college