A part-time biology professor at DePaul University in Chicago has been fired after giving students an optional assignment that sparked concerns over its political nature. The assignment, issued by Professor Anne d'Aquino last month, asked students to write about the impact of "genocide in Gaza on human health and biology."
DePaul stated that an investigation revealed the assignment had a negative impact on the learning environment by introducing political content unrelated to the course curriculum. Some students reportedly expressed discomfort with the injection of political topics into a science class focused on how microorganisms cause disease.
DePaul University - a peaceful protestor shows a 10 and 7 on his fingers then motions to slit his throat, insinuating the 10/7 Israel massacre.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 5, 2024
In a statement, the university said, "The class was provided a new instructor, and the faculty member has been released from their appointment as a part-time faculty member." DePaul also mentioned that an email with the assignment appeared to support those "resisting the normalization of ethnic cleansing."
D'Aquino, however, is appealing the decision, arguing that her termination infringed upon her academic freedom. At a student demonstration last week, she accused the administration of falsely labeling discussions about Palestine and Palestinian liberation as antisemitic.
The course in question, Health 194: Human Pathogens and Defense, covers microorganisms that cause significant diseases and explores the biological basis of infectious diseases and methods to combat them, according to DePaul's course catalog.
D'Aquino defended the assignment's relevance, stating, "For months, scientists and physicians have been warning about the spread of infectious disease in Gaza – due to starvation, malnutrition, overcrowding, destruction of critical water and sanitation infrastructure."
DePaul confirmed to Fox News Digital that D'Aquino has initiated an appeal process outlined in the Faculty Handbook, which is currently underway.
The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with an anti-Israel encampment present on DePaul's campus around the same time as the assignment.
