"Muhlenberg College professor at center of protests over Israel-Hamas views has been fired"

A Muhlenberg College professor who was the subject of a protest campaign over her views about the Israel-Hamas conflict has been fired, according to a report.

Maura Finkelstein, a nine-year, tenured professor at the college, was fired in May for sharing on her personal Instagram account a post written by a Palestinian poet, The Intercept reported Thursday. The post was shared to a temporary story slide.

The Intercept reported that Finkelstein was suspended after sharing the post in January, and was fired by the college in May.

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A message sent to Muhlenberg College requesting comment was not returned Thursday afternoon. The college declined to comment to The Intercept, and noted that it does not comment on confidential matters.

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Finkelstein, who is Jewish and has been vocal about the plight of Palestinians, was the subject of an online pressure campaign calling on the college to remove her. That campaign involved thousands of emails being sent to school administrators, local politicians, and media outlets, including The Morning Call. A spokesperson for Muhlenberg College told The Express-Times in July that the emails appeared to be bot-generated. Thousands received by The Morning Call were identical.

The American Association of University Professors said it has opened an inquiry into Finkelstein’s dismissal.

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In a statement Thursday, the AAUP said Finkelstein was suspended, then dismissed after a student filed a complaint about her speech. The dismissal, the AAUP said, raises concerns about academic freedom at the college.

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