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mahatmakanejeeves

(60,789 posts)
Thu Jan 4, 2018, 05:40 PM Jan 2018

FIRE sues college for ignoring records requests about its firing of Black Lives Matter advocate

Retweeted by FaintGlimmerofHopehat: https://twitter.com/Popehat

Go @TheFIREorg! It sues college for ignoring open records requests about its firing of Black Lives Matter advocate http://buff.ly/2lWfxCJ



FIRE sues college for ignoring records requests about its firing of Black Lives Matter advocate

By FIRE January 4, 2018

• Saying it was “inundated” with complaints, New Jersey’s Essex County College terminated an adjunct professor after she defended a Black Lives Matter event in a segment on Fox News.

• After 174 days and five extensions of its deadline, Essex has failed to produce a single record in response to FIRE’s public records request for information about the professor’s firing.

NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 4, 2018 — The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education filed a lawsuit yesterday in the Superior Court of New Jersey against Essex County College for ignoring multiple open records requests in violation of state law. FIRE requested information after an adjunct professor was fired following an appearance on a Fox News segment in which she defended Black Lives Matter.

“This lawsuit is not just about a public institution ignoring its obligation under state law to release certain information to the public,” said FIRE Staff Attorney Brynne Madway. “This suit is also about Essex County College’s responsibility to be transparent about its termination of an adjunct professor who simply voiced her opinions publicly.”

On July 13, FIRE requested information under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act about the questionable termination of Lisa Durden, an adjunct professor at Essex, two days after her June 6 appearance on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” On the program, Durden debated Carlson on whether it was appropriate for a Black Lives Matter group to hold an event and request that white people not attend.
....

CONTACT:

Daniel Burnett, Communications Manager, FIRE: 215-717-3473; media@thefire.org

Edited to add, on Friday:

Retweeted by FaintGlimmerofHopehat: https://twitter.com/Popehat

For a gang of right-wing shills masquerading as free speech crusaders (per the New York Times), @TheFIREorg chooses to intervene on behalf of some curious people.



Which is what I thought they were.
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