Northwestern cancels classes of professor cited during Gaza protest

What he's saying: "I feel sad and angry that they canceled the classes and left students in a lurch," he tells Axios, noting that his pay, along with his research work, have continued.

Flashback: Thrasher says that in July he, another professor, a librarian and a grad student learned they were facing charges for allegedly stepping between campus police and protesters in April.

• "For this, I was beaten up by Northwestern cops, leaving me in physical pain for several weeks," he wrote in an essay published this week on Lit Hub, where he notes Cook County prosecutors dropped the charges in July, "but that's when I learned my classes were canceled."

The other side: University officials tell Axios they don't comment on personnel matters.

Catch up fast: In late April, NU officials struck a deal with demonstrators to limit protests in exchange for enhancing support for Palestinian students and faculty and disclosing Israel-linked investments.

• After that, members of Congress accused NU president Michael Schill of "agreeing to the demands of antisemites." Some Jewish groups are calling for his resignation.

What's next: Thrasher, who holds the university's endowed Daniel Renberg chair of social justice reporting, tells Axios he plans to stay at the university and even apply for tenure this fall.

• "I will just continue being the kind of professor that I intended to be," he says, "and let the tenure and promotion committee make their decision."
• Northwestern's fall semester starts Tuesday.