University of Arkansas rescinds law school hire under political pressure, legislator says
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Emily Suski. Photo: Courtesy of University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas had hired a new dean for its law school but has since rescinded its offer — because of political pressure, a state legislator says.
Why it matters: This raises concerns over freedom of speech and academic expression, American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas executive director Holly Dickson said Thursday in a statement.
Catch up quick: Five days after announcing it had hired Emily Suski as law school dean, the university said on Wednesday it had decided to "go in a different direction" after "receiving feedback from key external stakeholders."
What they're saying: State Rep. Nicole Clowney (D-Fayetteville) posted Wednesday on Facebook that "multiple state elected officials" threatened to "substantially reduce funding in the upcoming fiscal session" over Suski's hiring. Clowney is an adjunct lecturer at the university.
- "After the deal was done and the hire was announced, a few state legislators along with at least one constitutional officer became aware that the newly hired Dean had signed onto a 'friend of the court' brief in a lawsuit challenging laws regarding transgender athletes in sports," the post reads in part.
- Clowney did not respond Thursday to a request for comment.
The other side: A spokesperson for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not say when Axios asked whether the governor had threatened to cut funding or expressed disapproval of the hiring decision.
- "Governor Sanders appreciates the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, for reaching the commonsense decision on this matter in the best interests of students," spokesperson Sam Dubke tells Axios in an email.
Context: Arkansas in 2021 was the second state to pass a law banning transgender girls and women from competing in school sports consistent with their gender identity. It was signed by former Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
- Sanders has been a vocal critic of transgender athletes in girls and women's sports, ordering schools to disregard changes to Title IX in 2024.
- Suski is among a list of law professors supporting transgender student athletes in a West Virginia case filed with the Supreme Court in 2025.
Flashback: The university announced on Jan. 9 that Suski had been hired as the new law school dean and would start July 1. Suski most recently worked for the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law as associate dean for strategic and institutional priorities.
- "She has extensive experience in leadership roles in legal education and practice and is an accomplished scholar. She has also been very successful in establishing medical-legal partnerships in South Carolina to support children's health and overall well-being," a statement from Provost Indrajeet Chaubey read.
- The current dean, Cynthia Nance, was appointed in 2023 to stay in the role through June 2026.
Zoom out: "If state officials can threaten to cut funding because they dislike a professor's legal analysis, then no public employee in Arkansas is safe to speak freely," Dickson's statement reads. "Under this logic, any public worker could be punished for expressing a belief unless it has first been approved by politicians. That is not governance — it is ideological control."
This is a developing story.