CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – At Thursday’s Austin Peay State University Faculty Senate meeting, an unexpected resolution was proposed in response to the termination-turned-suspension of tenured theater professor Darren Michael.
Michael was originally terminated for resharing a post on social media about the Charlie Kirk shooting that displayed a 2023 headline, “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment.” In response, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn shared Michael’s post, along with his university bio, and stated, “What do you say, Austin Peay State University?” tagging APSU.
Michael’s status was later shifted to suspension after the administration found that it had not followed due process when firing him, specifically APSU’s Policy on Academic Tenure and Termination of Faculty Members for Adequate Cause. The policy states that any termination requires convening a hearing committee with six tenured faculty members – three appointed by the Faculty Senate and three by the president.
At the Sept. 18 Faculty Senate meeting, University President Mike Licari admitted that due process had not been followed, according to member Bill Rayburn.
In response to this violation, on Thursday the Faculty Senate considered a resolution of no-confidence in the university president. This is a largely symbolic measure that signals the faculty has lost trust in his leadership. A two-thirds closed vote was required for this proposal to be approved and brought to the Board of Trustees.
Some faculty senators supported the resolution, saying Licari failed to follow university policy, and they expressed doubt he would handle similar issues differently in the future. Others opposed the resolution, saying Licari was facing outside pressure when making the decision. In the end, the resolution failed with 23 in favor and 12 against, which is 1 vote shy of the two-thirds needed to pass.
Clarksville Now reached out to President Licari, who declined to comment.
Students plan to keep pushing
Several APSU students told Clarksville Now they were disappointed with the result. APSU student Taylor Foley said, “The students are protesting with signs to protect their silent professors. … (They) spoke their minds at the Faculty Senate meeting on Sept. 18, but it wasn’t enough.”
But these students say they have no intention of giving up. They have emailed the Board of Trustees and are waiting for a response. “We are calling for the Board of Trustees to enact disciplinary action against Mike Licari, or for his voluntary resignation,” said Foley.
| GET YOUR MORNING NEWS: Sign up for the free daily Clarksville Now email newsletter
English Adjunct Professor Michael Devault encouraged students, saying, “It’s a complicated issue when you’re dealing with a state school facing what the president was facing in that moment. I’ve told my students all week, if I were in that situation or if they were in that situation, I hope they would have the grace to see the other side no matter what side they came down on.”
Freedom of speech on social media
After the meeting, Devault said that, “Freedom of speech for academics has to be absolute. This only works if we have absolute freedom of speech. At the same time, I certainly see both sides of this issue.”
Some faculty senators and other staff members voiced concerns about the larger implications of firing tenured professors over social media posts. Many declined to be comment on the record.
“This is not a local issue. As local as it is, it’s not a local issue,” Devault said. “We are having a debate about shaping the future, not just of higher education, but of the entire country.
“And if we don’t start having that conversation more openly, more honestly – as we did in last week’s Faculty Senate meeting and this week’s meeting – if we don’t have those honest discussions, we will never be able to shape the country in a way that embraces everyone. And at the end of the day, that’s my only goal. And it should be the goal of everyone involved.”
| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Clarksville Now app