Steven G. Salaita, the scholar at the center of an academic-freedom controversy that has rocked the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will give a public lecture on Monday at Centenary College of Louisiana, the college announced on Thursday.
Illinois had offered Mr. Salaita a tenured professorship in American Indian studies, but later withdrew it after the scholar attracted scrutiny for a stream of profanity-laced tweets that criticized Israel. Many academics have denounced the university’s treatment of Mr. Salaita, questioning the university’s justification for its actions and saying that it had violated his academic freedom. He has said that he is prepared to take legal action if the university does not reinstate him.
Mr. Salaita will give a public talk at Centenary called “Palestine in the American Imagination.” In addition to the lecture, he will visit classes and meet with students.
Jenifer K. Ward, the college’s provost, said in a written statement that Centenary was anticipating “a lively exchange of ideas with Dr. Salaita, which will add much-needed nuance to our understanding of the context and stakes at play in the Middle East.”
