TUCSON, Ariz. — University of Arizona employees and students staged a sit-in at the College of Education on Monday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m.
This sit-in is in response to the university administration’s decision to place two professors, Dr. Rebecca Lopez and Rebecca Zapien, on paid leave after they held a class discussion about Israel and Gaza.
The discussion led to many students and people across the country calling the professors anti-Semitic and factually wrong.
United Campus Workers of Arizona released a statement Sunday, asking the UA administration to immediately reinstate Lopez and Zapien saying that the University’s decision gets in the way of academic freedom on campus.
"College and university officials are obligated to defend academic freedom; they must resist demands from politicians, trustees, donors, students and their parents, alumni or other parties to punish faculty members for exercising that freedom," said United Campus Workers of Arizona.
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