Gov. Hochul facing pushback over removal of Palestinian Studies professor job listing at CUNY
The faculty union at the City University of New York is objecting to Gov. Hochul's order to interrupt the hiring process for a Palestinian Studies professor, saying the move is an overreach of the governor into academic affairs.
The planned hiring of the professor at CUNY's Hunter College on the Upper East Side became a flashpoint this week after the New York Post ran a story condemning the job listing, prompting the governor to intervene.
Pro-Palestinian protesters had planned to confront the governor Thursday during a planned appearance at CUNY's City College in Harlem, but it was canceled over safety concerns. At nearby Barnard College Wednesday evening, protesters injured a school employee during a brief takeover of a campus building.
In a forceful letter to Hochul and CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez, the Professional Staff Congress raised concerns about the governor's involvement — and its implications for academic freedom.
'We oppose antisemitism and all forms of hate, but this move is counterproductive,' wrote James Davis, president of the PSC, in the memo released Wednesday evening. 'It is an overreach of authority to rule an entire area of academic study out of bounds.'
Davis pointed to turmoil even within his own union over the war in Gaza — but suggested the solution would involve more education, not less. This year, the PSC both passed, then promptly rescinded, a resolution to divest from Israel.
The union head likened Hochul shying away from divisive concepts to 'something devised in Florida,' where the governor there has tried to restrict teaching about race and gender,
'What's needed are inclusive ways of teaching, not canceling concepts and areas of study,' the letter continued.
The governor's office deferred to CUNY for comment on the protest, but confirmed the job listing has been removed from their website. It was not immediately clear if the job would be reposted.
'There is no class that is being canceled or pulled,' said Kara Fesolovich, a spokeswoman for Hochul.
Meanwhile, a separate group of protesters — unaffiliated with the union — planned to confront Hochul on Thursday afternoon at City College, where she was scheduled to make a workforce-related announcement.
Spokesmen for the event and for CUNY confirmed it was called off minutes after it was supposed to begin, which was also supposed to include Rep. Adriano Espaillat, former Congressman Charles Rangel and the CUNY chancellor.
'Due to safety concerns, we made the decision to postpone today's event,' CCNY said in a statement. 'We are very proud of the partnership between the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and City College's Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative, and we look forward to rescheduling this event soon.
On social media, protesters had put out an 'urgent call to action,' calling the governor a 'fascist' whose intervention will 'silence critical scholarship.'
'Hochul and every politician enabling the suppression of Palestinian voices should know they will be confronted wherever they go,' read posts on X and Instagram, by a network of student groups called CUNY4Palestine.
Matos Rodriguez, the CUNY chancellor, and chairman of the CUNY Board of Trustees William Thompson have backed Hochul's decision to pull the Hunter College job description.
'We find this language divisive, polarizing and inappropriate,' read a statement on Tuesday, 'and strongly agree with Gov. Hochul's direction to remove this posting, which we have ensured Hunter College has since done.'
'CUNY will continue working with the governor and other stakeholders to tackle antisemitism on our campuses and combat hate in all of its forms.'
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