Community Coalition Plans Rally to Protest Penn State Professor’s Firing Process

A coalition of nine student, faculty and community organizations will host a press conference and rally on Thursday as Penn State allegedly advances dismissal procedures against a professor.

The demonstration, which will begin at 3:30 pm. at Old Main, comes as English and African American studies professor Oliver Baker faces possible termination from the university.

Centre County District Judge Steven Lachman found Baker not guilty on one summary count of harassment stemming from a scuffle with a student counterprotester at a rally organized by Penn State faculty in August to urge the university to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations. The district attorney’s office previously withdrew misdemeanor charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct after a review of evidence in the case.

Nine organizations will take part in Thursday’s demonstration, including:

• American Association of University Professors
• Coalition For A Just University
• NAACP State College Chapter
• Students Against Sexist Violence
• Schreyer Gender Equity Coalition
• Liberal Arts Collective at Penn State
• Centre County Democratic Socialists of America
• Alleghenies Abolition
• Central Pennsylvania United

More than 10 speakers from these organizations are set to speak at Thursday’s event to “demand answers and accountability” from Penn State.

The coalition alleges the university has violated its own procedures, namely the AC70 firing process, which is used to dismiss tenured and tenure-eligible faculty members. The group’s concerns largely lie in the process’s extended timeline, which has stretched far beyond the required 60-day threshold. It also found fault in Penn State’s pursuit of dismissal against someone found not guilty in court and the university’s alleged changes to the faculty-elected committee that oversees AC70 processes.

“These apparent violations give the appearance that the administration is unfairly influencing the AC70 process in the case of Dr. Oliver Baker,” the coalition wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

To date, Baker remains on administrative leave from the university. Penn State declines to comment on pending litigations and internal processes.

Student and faculty organizations released statements in January condemning Penn State for continuing its dismissal procedure against Baker. Community members held a rally on campus in March to continue those efforts.