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Tenured SJSU Professor Challenges Firing Over Role In Pro‑Palestinian Protest

12:36 AM, 12/07/2025
Tenured SJSU Professor Challenges Firing Over Role In Pro‑Palestinian Protest

Sang Hea Kil, a tenured associate professor at San Jose State University, was fired after participating in pro‑Palestinian campus protests and is now contesting the dismissal through arbitration. The university alleges she was present during a physical altercation and disrupted operations; the California Faculty Association represents her and has condemned the firing. Union representative V. Jesse Smith called the move an infringement on free speech and academic freedom, and Kil said she will sue if arbitration does not reinstate her.

San Jose State Professor Appeals Dismissal Over Campus Protest

Sang Hea Kil, a tenured associate professor in the Justice Studies department at San Jose State University, was dismissed last month after taking part in pro‑Palestinian demonstrations on campus. The university says Kil was present during a physical altercation between student protesters and another faculty member who was filming, and it accused her of disrupting university operations and encouraging students to do the same.

Kil has denied that her actions warranted dismissal and is seeking reinstatement through arbitration. The California Faculty Association (CFA) is representing her and has publicly criticized the university's decision.

“You can’t fire people for their beliefs and expression,” said V. Jesse Smith, a union representative, calling the firing an infringement on free speech and academic freedom.

According to reporting cited by the CFA, Kil is believed to be the first tenured faculty member at a U.S. public university terminated over protests tied to the war in Gaza. She has said she will pursue a lawsuit if the arbitration process does not restore her position.

At a recent public appeal hearing, Kil argued that “All faculty should be able to protest all genocides without targeted punitive actions,” framing her dismissal as a targeted response to activism and raising broader concerns about academic freedom and the limits of campus protest policy.

What Happens Next: Kil’s case will proceed through arbitration, where the CFA will argue for reinstatement; if arbitration fails, she has indicated she will file a civil lawsuit. The outcome may have implications for how public universities handle faculty involvement in politically charged campus demonstrations.

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