© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Salaita Files FOIA Lawsuit Against U Of I

twitter.com/stevesalaita

A professor whose job offer was rescinded by the University of Illinois is suing the school. Steven Salaita’s anti-Israel comments didn’t sit well with U of I trustees.

Salaita claims the University stonewalled attempts to access emails sent to and from key administrative figures regarding pressure from the school’s donors and the Board of Trustees.

The professor claims the University has violated Illinois' Freedom of Information Act by not providing the requested emails, claiming the inquiry "unduly burdensome."

Salaita's lawyer, Anand Swaminathan, says the professor believes the answer to why he was ultimately rejected by the Board of Trustees lies in those emails.

"To what extent was the University influenced by outside interests that trumped the decision-making and thought process of the department that wanted to hire Proessor Salaita, the search committee that recommended his hiring, so that's what this is about."

A University spokesman says U of I hasn't yet looked at the lawsuit, but promises to "defend the University's Interests."

Meisel works for Capitol News Illinois.
Related Stories