A New College of Florida professor was abruptly fired this month under a controversial state law that limits public universities from employing people from so-called “countries of concern,” including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Soon, it will include anyone who checked out library books on those countries! Via the Miami Herald:
Kevin Wang, a Chinese academic who is seeking asylum and authorized to work in the United States, had been teaching Chinese language and culture classes at the small liberal arts college in Sarasota for nearly two years when, on March 12, the school terminated his contract, citing a university regulation based on that law, known as SB 846.
His letter of dismissal, which was reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight, stated that the school’s decision to cancel his contract as an adjunct professor was “not based on any misconduct and does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action.” Instead, it claimed, Wang’s immigration status – and, implicitly, his country of origin – made him ineligible for employment at New College.
[…] It also marks the latest flashpoint at New College, a liberal arts school once known for its progressive student body that has become a high-profile ideological battleground after Gov. Ron DeSantis overhauled its leadership, installing political allies on the board of trustees and appointing former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran as president.
