University of Arkansas: Punishment of Professor for Political Social Media Commentary

On December 16, 2025, the University of Arkansas initiated termination proceedings against political science professor Shirin Saeidi for reposting on X: “Warm blood, brave one, thrust the dagger from Doha into the throats of the Zionists, so that all of them howl,” followed by a smiling face and “okay” hand emojis and “#FreePalestine.” The university also faulted Saeidi for her written testimony to a Swedish court in the 2023 trial of Iranian official Hamid Nour. On January 14, 2026, FIRE wrote to the university, explaining that the First Amendment protects public university professors’ right to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern, which includes social media commentary about the Gaza conflict and testimony to a foreign court.