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Supporters Hope Salaita Prevails In Legal Battle Over U of I

Jim Meadows

A week after the University of Illinois' Board of Trustees voted to not hire Steven Salaita, the professor's supporters are still hopeful he'll prevail over the school in a legal battle.

That includes Columbia Law Professor Katherine Franke, who traveled to Urbana at her own expense. She boycotted an invitation from the University to lead an discussion on academic freedom.

Salaita had been hired as a tenured professor at the University, but the offer was rescinded after he made inflammatory comments about Israel on Twitter this summer.

Franke says that's a clear violation of academic freedom.

"The academy and the academic mission is really devoted to interrogating any idea, no matter how controversial, no matter how frightening, and no matter how well settled it already might be," Franke said.

 The University's Board of Trustees voted earlier this month not to hire Salaita. Some trustees raised doubts about whether he would foster free and open debate of controversial issues in the classroom.