UF bars faculty from testifying in voting rights lawsuit against Desantis admin.

[Dill]

(10-30-2021, 10:32 AM)GMDino Wrote: Not sure this would stand up if challenged.

The move to bar professors from being expert witnesses in public trials is highly unusual. In a letter to the university, lawyers representing the professors said that faculty members retain their First Amendment rights to free speech even if their remarks may “make a University’s relationship with funding sources more difficult.”

The attorneys cited U.S. Supreme Court rulings that protect the rights of individuals to disclose information acquired “by virtue of their public employment.”

The academics will file a legal challenge against the university if it does not change its stance, said Paul Donnelly, a lawyer representing Smith, McDonald, and Austin.

As Florida’s governor, DeSantis has influence over the funding of the state’s public institutions of higher education. He also has the authority to name six of the 13 members of the university’s board of trustees. All appointed trustees are subject to state Senate confirmation.

This involves one of the rationales for tenure--to shield academics and universities from political threats by those who would use their power as state/government officials to protect bad/illegal behavior from scrutiny.

I'm surprised that university officials said the quiet part out loud in this case. Usually this kind of threat and control is issued under some pretext, like the need restructure or downsize a department or institution.