In a step below “the dog ate my homework”, LSU offered the Court this excuse for Igor van Heerden’s pending unemployment:
LSU officials said in their court-filed response this week that van Heerden has not been fired, but added that his research contract will not be renewed when it expires May 21.
The LSU response also denied that “van Heerden’s criticism of the Corps or speech on any other matter was a substantial or motivating factor in the decision not to renew his employment.”
van Heerden, according to the Advocate, “wants a federal judge to block the expiration of his LSU contract next month”: h/t Editilla
A vocal critic of the Army Corps of Engineers, van Heerden sued the LSU system in February. He alleged he is being forced out of his job because of his argument that the Corps’ levees in New Orleans had design flaws that caused their failure during Hurricane Katrina’s 2005 surge across the city…
LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard said Wednesday that LSU officials will not comment while the lawsuit is pending….
This week, the nearly 50,000-member American Association of University Professors notified LSU that it will establish a committee to investigate the school’s action against van Heerden, former deputy director of the LSU Hurricane Center.
Editilla had more on the AAUP story, too.
In a strongly worded letter, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has alerted Michael Martin, Chancellor of Louisiana State University (LSU) that, in its opinion, the firing of Professor Ivor van Heerden “raises significant issues of academic freedom, tenure and due process.” Continue reading “from the bowels of academia comes this s#!% – LSU officials say van Heerden not fired but contract won’t be renewed”