Adjunct political science instructor Corinna Mullin, who was arrested during a pro-Palestinian encampment at City College in April 2024, is returning to CUNY classrooms this fall after being reinstated earlier this year. Her comeback is already reigniting campus arguments over academic freedom, safety, and the limits of political expression. Students at Brooklyn College and John Jay can expect to see her name back on course rosters, and she is also listed on The New School's fall faculty slate.
Where she'll be teaching
The New School lists Mullin as the instructor for a fall course titled "Decolonizing International Law," according to The New School. At CUNY, John Jay College's events page and campus listings identify Mullin as an adjunct who has returned to teaching there this semester, per John Jay College. CUNY's faculty coordinator roster also lists Mullin at Brooklyn College, showing her departmental affiliation on system pages.
How the 2024 encampment ended
On April 30, 2024, police swept pro-Palestinian encampments across multiple New York City campuses, and City College temporarily moved classes online while administrators secured campus buildings, as reported by ABC News. Authorities made mass arrests that night. Mullin has since publicly described being detained during the City College action in a video feature for The Washington Post. Campus officials later reported substantial damage and disruption tied to the encampments, and that episode still looms large in current debates over the protests.
Controversial remarks and campus reaction
More recently, Mullin has faced renewed scrutiny over reported comments in which she allegedly praised Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and urged on rivals of U.S. power, remarks critics have labeled inflammatory. The New York Post reported those statements and quoted critics who called Mullin's rehiring "outrageous and unacceptable." That coverage has intensified calls from opponents of her return who want CUNY to publicly explain how it is handling her employment and broader campus climate concerns.
Union pressure and reinstatement
Mullin was one of four Brooklyn College adjuncts who were non-reappointed in 2025, a move that helped spark the "Fired Four" campaign. Union organizers say sustained pressure ultimately led to three of those adjuncts, including Mullin, being reinstated in January. The PSC-CUNY union and allied labor groups framed the returns as wins for academic freedom and due process, according to union statements and local reporting, including PSC-CUNY and Higher Education Labor United. Supporters argue the reinstatements were secured through negotiation rather than any public about-face by campus administration.
What to watch this fall
Administrators and student groups say they will be watching Mullin's courses for any disruptions, while campus safety teams review protocols as officials try to balance free speech with security concerns. Observers note that her case sits squarely inside a wider national fight over Palestine activism and academic governance, a conflict explored in detail by The Nation. How CUNY responds to any classroom conduct issues or disciplinary complaints involving instructors this semester will serve as a closely watched test.
For now, students who enroll in Mullin's courses will find her back on fall rosters, returning to campuses that are still processing the fallout from the 2024 protests. No one is expecting a quiet semester as CUNY officials, students, and city leaders continue to press for answers on safety, speech, and the scope of protest on public campuses.
