Kimberly Terrell, an environmental researcher at Tulane University, resigned after claiming university officials imposed a "gag order" due to pressure from Gov. Jeff Landry. Her research highlighted racial disparities in the petrochemical workforce, and she criticized the administration for prioritizing a narrow agenda over academic freedom. This incident reflects a broader national trend where political leaders are working to control research narratives related to environmental justice, as seen through recent punitive measures against protesting students and faculty at universities.
"Scholarly publications, not gag orders, are the currency of academia," Kimberly Terrell wrote in her resignation letter. "There is always room for informed debate. But Tulane leaders have chosen to abandon the principles of knowledge, education, and the greater good in pursuit of their own narrow agenda."
"It started with the pro-Palestinian activism on our campus and others across the country. It's emboldened a lot of political leaders to feel they can make inroads by silencing faculty in other areas," Michelle Lacey noted, emphasizing the chilling effect on academic freedom.
Terrell's resignation is emblematic of the broader efforts by the Trump administration and its allies to control research on environmental justice and punish dissent on campuses.
Landry, a Republican aligned with Trump, has a history of trying to exert control over the state's public universities, exacerbating fears among faculty about academic freedom.
#environmental-justice #academic-freedom #political-pressure #university-administration #research-gag-order
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