The Global Research community will likely agree that academic freedom and free speech are the basic tenets of free and democratic societies. On January 6, 2016 I was terminated from my tenured position as Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Florida Atlantic University. The reason FAU administrators gave for this abrupt action was that I questioned university policy and failed to file paperwork in a timely manner.
I began my employment at FAU as Assistant Professor in 2002 after completing my graduate studies at The University of Iowa, and was granted tenure in 2008. In my 13-years at Florida Atlantic my record of faculty teaching, research, and service has been consistently adjudged as excellent by my colleagues.
Most observers contend that my firing stemmed from the many articles on my personal blog, Memory Hole, that have interrogated the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and similar controversial events. Beginning in early 2013 I became a target of many mainstream journalistic outlets that routinely failed to provide objective and responsible investigative coverage of these very incidents. I contend that this harassment and termination of my employment suggests a broader affront to free speech and academic freedom not only for faculty at FAU and other North American universities, but for free thinkers throughout the world.
The James Tracy Legal Defense Fund Inc. was established as a nonprofit charity by concerned scholars in January 2016. The central purpose of the Legal Defense Fund is to generate revenue toward retaining competent legal representation for researching and ascertaining the facts pertinent to my case.
For more information on how you can help please visit TracyLegalDefense.org. If you are able to assist in my legal defense a link is provided below to make a contribution to the Fund.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
James F. Tracy, Ph.D.
The original source of this article is Global Research
James F. Tracy was a tenured Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Florida Atlantic University from 2002 to 2016. He was fired by FAU ostensibly for violating the university's policies imposed on the free speech rights of faculty. Tracy has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the university, with trial set to begin November 27, 2017.
Tracy received his PhD from University of Iowa. His work on media history, politics and culture has appeared in a wide variety of academic journals, edited volumes, and alternative news and opinion outlets. Additional information is available at MemoryHoleBlog.com, TracyLegalDefense.org, and jamesftracy.wordpress.com.
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