CAIR-SFBA Welcomes Order Reinstating San José State Professor Fired Over Pro-Palestinian Activism
(SANTA CLARA, CA, 6/24/2026) — The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed an arbitrator’s order overturning the termination of San José State University (SJSU) Professor Dr. Sang Hea Kil. The ruling requires the university to reinstate Dr. Kil with full back pay after a nearly two-year fight over discipline tied to her involvement in pro-Palestinian student activism.
SEE: California Faculty Association’s (CFA) statement on Dr. Kil’s reinstatement order
Dr. Kil, a tenured full professor and former faculty adviser for Students for Justice in Palestine, was suspended in 2024 and later terminated following allegations tied to campus protests over Gaza. A Faculty Hearing Committee had previously found that no discipline was warranted, but SJSU’s president declined to accept that recommendation and upheld Dr. Kil’s termination. Dr. Kil and CFA, which represented her, then sought arbitration to challenge the university’s decision. The arbitrator ultimately ruled the university’s termination “excessive,” reducing the penalty to a one-month unpaid suspension.
CAIR-SFBA had previously denounced SJSU’s decision to terminate Dr. Kil and called for her reinstatement.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“Dr. Kil should never have faced termination for standing with her students and speaking out against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. While this ruling is a significant victory for academic freedom, it exposes the extreme, retaliatory measures universities are willing to take to suppress pro-Palestinian speech. Reinstatement is the only just outcome, and institutions nationwide must stop weaponizing disciplinary procedures against faculty and students who dare speak out for human rights.”
In a statement, Dr. Kil said:
“What happened to me was part of a broader effort to silence pro-Palestinian solidarity in academia. While I am relieved to return to my students and the classroom, the reality is that no educator should have to risk their career to defend basic human rights. This decision vindicates our right to dissent, and I remain fully committed to the fight for justice in Palestine.”
CAIR-SFBA notes that Dr. Kil’s case reflects a broader, systemic climate across higher education, in which faculty, students, and advocates for Palestinian rights face heightened institutional scrutiny, doxxing, and discipline for their speech.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com