CHICAGO (CBS) — An adjunct professor was fired from her role at DePaul University after she offered her students an optional assignment asking them to investigate the biological and health effects that Israel’s war in Gaza is having on Palestinians.
Dr. Anne D’Aquino taught Health 194, Human Pathogens and Defense, across from the now demolished pro-Palestinian protest camp on the Quad.
“Students were distracted,” D’Aquino said. “Many of them volunteered at the encampment. Many of them had friends who were in the encampment.” It was a topic that was generally unavoidable, she said.
Biochemist and professor Dr. D’Aquino was hired April 1 to teach Health 194. She said she especially believed that this course would allow her to discuss the intersections of the humanities and biology.
According to the syllabus, the course partly examines microbiological research and its relevance to everyday life, current events, as well as microbiological knowledge for “its major impact on individuals and communities”.
“By taking real-world examples and applying our biology to them, and then communicating that to the general public, as many students will do that in their professions,” D’Aquino said.
D’Aquino said she was fired for asking students to do just that: provide an optional alternative to the previously assigned topic of bird flu, and instead focus on the consequences of the war in Gaza.
“The day I added the optional assignment, there was a major attack on Rafah, and I didn’t want it to go unnoticed,” she said. The optional assignment called for scientific analysis and critical thinking to understand “the impact of genocide on human biology.”
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On May 7, a day after she presented the optional assignment, she said she received a call from the chair of Health Sciences, who claimed that DePaul had received complaints from students about feeling unsafe in the classroom and said this was outside the ” domain of the sciences’. of microbiology.”
D’Aquino said the president noted that “for what it’s worth” she had “really good content” on D2L or the online portal where students can access the content of their classes.
D’Aquino also said her department questioned her choice of words — specifically the reference to “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” CBS 2 asked her why she chose the words she did.
“Because these are the right terms,” she said, “many rights groups – including the UN rights group – have shown that there is reasonable evidence to accurately describe this as genocide.”
D’Aquino referred to a March UN Human Rights Council report that found “reasonable grounds” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed.
“We have heard again and again from scientists that what is happening in Gaza, and in Palestine more broadly, is a public health problem,” D’Aquino said. “There is no clean water. Sewage and sanitation infrastructure has been demolished, it has been destroyed. Hospitals have been destroyed. Infections are increasing.”
D’Aquino has appealed and believes the termination violated her academic freedom. In the appeal, she cites eight sources to support her claim that the assignment was related to her course, including data from the World Health Organization and a publication in the Journal of Medicine, Surgery and Public Health.
Collapsed medical and sanitary infrastructure, severe overcrowding in shelters or encampments and malnutrition in Gaza are the “perfect storm” for infectious disease outbreaks, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, which D’Aquino consulted in her call.
“There are long-term consequences of conflict due to the disruption of routine vaccination programs and disease surveillance and response systems. Historically, this has manifested itself as a resurgence of preventable outbreaks,” said the study, which also looked at war in Iraq. , Syria and Yemen.
Under these circumstances, there is “no way to mask or separate themselves,” D’Aquino said.
According to the Lancet, another peer-reviewed journal cited in the call, the war in Gaza has led to a serious health crisis, especially for children under the age of five. The United Nations has reported more than 179,000 acute respiratory infections and a “25-fold increase in diarrhea.
Genocide affects not only infections and epidemiology, but also genetics, which was another part of her course, she said.
D’Aquino highlighted the 1994 genocide in Rawada. A “first of its kind” study from the University of South Florida found that the Rwandan genocide chemically altered the DNA of victims and the victim’s children. The program found that the victims had gene modifications that included “genes previously implicated in the risk of mental disorders such as PTSD and depression.”
On May 8, two days after the optional assignment, D’Aquino received her termination letter, which cited the faculty handbook stating, “Faculty are required to avoid significant infringement of material unrelated to the course.”
D’Aquino questioned the university’s decision to fire her within days. She also rejected accusations that the assignment was an attempt to integrate politics.
“I really tried to ensure that my classroom was too, by integrating the diversity, equity and inclusivity that I prioritize in all my teaching; ensuring that students are heard and seen. However, it is important to note that biologists, scientists, and anyone in any field: we don’t exist in bubbles.”
D’Aquino said only one student had raised her concerns directly — a conversation they had openly with the rest of the class.
“I received a lot of support from students who appreciated the assignment,” D’Aquino said.
She says she is disappointed and confused and that she still doesn’t understand what she did wrong.
“This is a reprimand to me, which also sends a message to other faculties not to talk about this; that Palestine is not a topic of discussion in class – and that you will be expelled,” she said. “I also think it’s a message for students: If your faculty, your staff, can’t talk about it, you can’t either.”
A spokesperson for DePaul did not answer specific questions from CBS 2 about the investigation, including how many students complained, the scope of the university’s investigation and the timeline of the termination. The university issued the following statement:
“DePaul University is committed to academic freedom and freedom of expression. We are also steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that no acts of hatred, discrimination, harassment, Islamophobia or anti-Semitism are tolerated in our community.
“On May 8, we received several complaints from students about an assignment at Health 194, Human Pathogens and Defense. The course introduces students to the diverse microorganisms that cause significant disease within the human population. The students expressed great concern about the introduction of political matters in the classroom. We looked into the issue, spoke to the faculty member and discovered that this was negatively impacting the learning environment. The class now has a new instructor and the faculty member has been released from his appointment as a part-time faculty member at DePaul University.
“The DePaul Faculty Handbook, in accordance with the American Association of University Professors’ 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, states that faculty are required to avoid significant intrusion into material unrelated to the course, in order to to avoid any coercion on the judgment or conscience of students. students, to uphold the scholarly standards of one’s own academic discipline, and to respect the rights of other persons to hold and express different intellectual positions.
“In addition, all faculty members – including adjunct faculty – have rights under our faculty handbook, including the right to appeal a decision on the grounds that it has violated the faculty member’s academic freedom. Such appeals are heard by an appeals committee consisting of three permanent faculty members. For adjunct faculty, the process is expedited.”
D’Aquino hopes to return to teaching the same students she left mid-quarter. The university spokesperson told CBS 2 that a new instructor has filled the role.
