Dive Summary:
- Florida Atlantic University issued a formal letter of reprimand to James F. Tracy, a tenured associate professor of communications, for mentioning his affiliation with the institution in blog posts that questioned official accounts of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
- In his blog posts, which began 10 days after the shooting, Tracy questioned whether the shooting took place as described by law enforcement officials and the media, also suggesting that the news media distorted events to assist with gun regulation efforts.
- The letter comes three months after the blog posts created a public uproar, during which the university distanced itself from Tracy's remarks but didn't fire him despite widespread calls to do so, and Tracy has filed a grievance with the United Faculty of Florida challenging the reprimand as an infringement upon his right to free speech.
From the article:
... "You must stop dragging FAU into your personal endeavors," Ms. Coltman's letter of reprimand said. "Your actions continue to adversely affect the legitimate interests of the university and constitute misconduct."
The letter went on to warn Mr. Tracy: "If you continue to fail to meet your professional obligations and respond to directives from your supervisor, you will face additional disciplinary action." ...