DePaul University announced it had fired an adjunct biology professor who gave students an elective assignment last month asking them to write about “the impact of the genocide in Gaza on human health and biology.”
The school said an investigation into Ann D’Aquino’s assignment “determined that the assignment had a negative impact on the learning environment by introducing irrelevant political material outside the academic scope of the curriculum.”
“A new instructor has been assigned to teach this class and the faculty member has been relieved of his adjunct teaching position,” DePaul University said in a statement to The Associated Press, adding that some students “expressed significant concerns” about the politics of a science class that teaches how microbes cause disease.
The Chicago-based university also said the email containing the assignment showed support for those “resisting the normalization of ethnic cleansing.”
At the same time, DePaul University administrators were wrestling with anti-Israel factions on campus.
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Ann D’Aquino, an adjunct professor at DePaul University, speaks to reporters outside in the university’s courtyard on Thursday, June 6, with anti-Israel protesters behind her. (Jessica Ma/Chicago Sun-Times via The Associated Press)
D’Aquino has challenged the decision, saying at a student demonstration on campus in her support last Thursday that “my firing is a violation of academic freedom and another example of the current administration’s attempt to spin any discussion about Palestine and Palestinian liberation into false allegations of anti-Semitism.”
According to CBS Chicago, D’Aquino taught Health 194, “Human Pathogens and Defense,” in early May.
DePaul University explains in its online academic catalog that the course introduces students to “the diverse range of microorganisms that cause significant human diseases.”
“You will explore the biological basis of infectious diseases, focusing on the mechanisms of viral and bacterial infection and spread,” the course description adds. “You will also consider the principles of the tools used to fight infectious diseases, including disinfectants, antibiotics/antivirals, and vaccinations.”
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Palestinians attacked a truck carrying humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip on May 18. “For months, scientists and doctors have been warning about the spread of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip due to hunger, malnutrition, overcrowding and the destruction of critical water and sanitation infrastructure,” D’Aquino said. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“The faculty member in question has initiated an appeal pursuant to his rights as outlined in the faculty handbook,” DePaul University said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, adding that “that process is currently underway and will be completed shortly.”
D’Aquino did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Monday, but at a rally last week he said, “My case serves as a reminder that if faculty and staff are not protected from swift and severe discipline at this university, students certainly are not protected either.”
On May 9, Palestinian refugees fleeing Rafah arrived in central Gaza. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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“Indeed, this assignment was relevant to the course and its objectives,” D’Aquino said. “For months, scientists and doctors have been warning about the spread of infectious diseases in Gaza due to hunger, malnutrition, overcrowding and the destruction of vital water and sanitation infrastructure.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
