San José State University has sparked controversy by temporarily suspending a professor who was involved in campus pro-Palestinian activism. Sang Hea Kil, a justice studies professor at SJSU and faculty advisor for Students for Justice in Palestine, confirmed via an Instagram post that she has been suspended for her involvement, stating "SJSU suspended me from my job for my Palestine work. The fight for academic freedom continues!!!”
The suspension notice, referenced in multiple reports, including the San Francisco Chronicle, attributes the disciplinary action to Kil's violation of Article 17 of the collective bargaining agreement with the California Faculty Association. Kil is accused of being "unprofessional and exploitative," directing students to defy university policies, and subjecting her colleagues to "harassing and offensive conduct and comments.” The suspension letter warns that her suspension may prematurely end, only to be followed by possible disciplinary action.
This controversial move by the university has raised concerns among the CSU Student Divestment Coalition about the integrity of free speech on campus. They strongly condemned the suspension, as quoted in the Chronicle report: "We demand the full reinstatement of Dr. Kil, and for (Senior Associate Vice President Joanne) Wright to take all actions necessary to reverse Dr. Kil’s suspension." This student advocacy group sees Kil as a key figure in their struggle for schools to end financial involvement with companies that do business with Israel.
Kil's suspension also follows an incident involving another SJSU professor, Jonathan Roth, whom Kil accused of physical and verbal altercations with pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. According to NBC Bay Area, Roth, who was recognized for rejuvenating the university's Jewish Studies program, was placed on leave after a confrontation captured on video. Kil criticized her university's and faculty association's response, or lack thereof, to the alleged assault, expressing her disappointment via LinkedIn by saying, "Their silence is complicity with genocide and genocide deniers!"
During her suspension, Kil will not be allowed to step foot on campus or carry out any functions associated with her role as a professor. Her suspension comes at a critical time when she was chair of the Anti-Racism, Social Justice Transformation Committee and was the former co-chair of the Palestine, Arab, and Muslim Caucus of the California Faculty Association. The professor, who won SJSU’s Lifetime Faculty Service Award in 2019, has a noted history of pushing academic boundaries with her assertive approach to addressing issues around immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border.
