Editing Millsaps College (section)

=== Dismissal of James Bowley ===
Millsaps College suspended and later dismissed [[James E. Bowley|James Bowley]], a tenured professor of politics and religion, after he emailed three students that class was cancelled to "mourn and process this racist fascist country" after [[Donald Trump]] was elected in the [[2024 United States elections]].<ref name = "clarionledger">{{Cite web |last=Reily |first=Ross |title=Millsaps College fires professor over email blasting Trump. Professor: It's 'censorship' |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2025/01/16/professor-fired-over-trump-email-jackson-mississippi/77728227007/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref> Millsaps interim provost Stephanie Rolph placed him on administrative leave, saying that it was because he "[shared] personal opinions with [his] students" using his official email.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sherratt |first=Madeline |date=January 17, 2025 |title=Professor fired after calling US a ‘racist fascist country’ in email to students after Trump’s win |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/college-professor-fired-us-election-mississippi-b2681039.html |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> The [[Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression]] said that the college "fabricated a policy violation" as to fire Bowley in an article demanding his reinstatement that the college called "riddled with inaccuracies".<ref name = "clarionledger"/> The college's faculty council president, David Wood, told ''[[Inside Higher Ed]]'' that the suspension was "unfair and unsubstantiated" and the decision to ban Bowley without a hearing was done on "very poor judgment". However, he also described Bowley's past actions as "a bit reckless" and said that Bowley would "push the envelope" of the administration with controversial issues.<ref name ="insideed">{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Ryan |title=Professor Says College Fired Him for Telling 3 Students U.S. Is Fascist After Election |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2025/01/17/prof-says-he-was-fired-email-calling-us-racist |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |language=en}}</ref> One of these past issues involving Bowley was the defacement of the Christian Center, an academic building on campus that was set for renovation in 2017.  Bowley and several students applied graffiti to the walls, and the graffiti included many politically charged comments about state and federal leaders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chirkov "Vladimirov" |first=Nikita |date=2018-02-20 |title=Christian Center vandalized with ‘F--- Trump’ graffiti |url=https://www.campusreform.org/article/christian-center-vandalized-with-f-trump-graffiti/10545 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=campusreform.org |language=en}}</ref>  This was seen as an act of vandalism by the administration, and "disciplinary processes were initiated against the students and faculty [Bowley] involved."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kingfish |date=2018-02-22 |title=Millsaps responds |url=https://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2018/02/millsaps-responds.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Jackson Jambalaya}}</ref>

A grievance panel of three faculty members called for a formal apology by Rolph, Bowley's reinstatement, and compensation to be given to Bowley. The panel writes that Rolph was unable provide a specific policy that Bowley violated and that no policy exists to regulate the use of campus emails to share personal opinions.<ref name ="insideed" /> Bowley said that he appealed his dismissal to the board of trustees.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anthony |first=Warren |date=January 16, 2025 |title=‘This is fascism’: Millsaps professor says he was fired for email commenting on presidential election |url=https://www.wlbt.com/2025/01/15/this-is-fascism-millsaps-professor-fired-days-after-report-released/ |work=[[WLBT]]}}</ref>