...and now some faculty want him fired. The problem is he didn't commit a firing offense (as the University President recognizes). He has not been convicted of a crime, only of world-historic stupidity and venality. Lisa Leitz, a Chapman professor of peace studies, is calling for him to be fired because "his appearance at the rally and his past Trump campaign activities have scarred the university's reputation...it undermines the credibility of every faculty member." Professor Leitz has obviously not thought very carefully about what she is saying. No one, including her, would enjoy any academic freedom were the standard for termination "speech that, when it enters the public eye, 'scar[s] the university's reputation.'" That standard would have surely justified the illegal firing of Steven Salaita, to take but one example.
Chapman has since announced that Eastman is retiring, and has agreed not to take legal action against the university. (Eastman is 60 and has taught at Chapman for about 25 years.) In other words, he and the University reached a settlement involving mutual release of legal claims, his agreement to retire, and in all likelihood a financial payout to Eastman to get him to retire.
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