ESU takes reinstated professors 'to court' after layoff fallout
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Emporia State University (ESU) has moved to reverse the reinstatement of several professors who were laid off earlier this year.
Gwen Larson, a spokeswoman for the university, confirmed that the cases are pending in Lyon County District Court, in an email to Kansas Capitol Bureau on Tuesday.
"Emporia State University asked for a judicial review of those Office of Administrative Hearings judgments that reversed ESU's decisions to terminate specific faculty members. Those cases are now pending in Lyon County District Court."
Gwen Larson, ESU Director of Media Relations + Internal Communication
Shortly after Ken Hush was named the new president of ESU in June, 2022 he outlined a course of action to the Kansas Board of Regents to make staff cuts due to financial pressures on the university. It was later learned that up to 7% of ESU staff could be eliminated following approval of this plan.
The staff layoff plan was put into action in September, 2022. This drew criticisms from groups like the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and resulted in student protests with Hush needing a police escort to his office on campus.
Other professors who were laid off are also going through the appeals process with the Office of Administrative Hearings. Larson said it's unclear how much the work will cost.
"ESU does have a contract with the Office of Administrative Hearings that will charge ESU $115 per hour for the work that OAH does related to the Workforce Management appeals process. ESU has not yet receive a bill, so I cannot tell you how much this work will cost," Larson stated.
Kansas Capitol Bureau spoke with Max McCoy, a former ESU professor, who's currently going through the appeals process.
"It's been the most difficult period of my professional life. Since September 15, I think most of the terminated expected the hearings to be finished by the end of the year... that's what we were led to believe," McCoy said. "Now, it's the middle of the summer following. It's been trauma after trauma, I think, for us."
The mass layoffs received backlash from students and national organizations. In addition to AAUP, FIRE, a non-profit civil liberties group, has criticized the university. FIRE has listed the university as one of the worst colleges for free speech.
McCoy said the actions by AAUP and FIRE reflect on the administration — not the faculty, staff or students.
"Although the American Association of University Professors has censured Emporia State for the manner in which it terminated professors and FIRE has put it on its list of worst colleges for free speech, this does not reflect on the hard-working faculty members and staff of the university. It is concerning, of course, but it should not be interpreted as demeaning in any way the many faculty and and staff who work at the university — or the students who attend," McCoy said.