Members of the California Faculty Association have resigned following the union’s passage of its pro-Palestine resolution passed on April 14.
The resolution in question is CFA’s Resolution to Support Palestinians and their Allies in the California State University. The document declares CFA’s solidarity with the pro-Palestinian movement and commitment to “defending the health, safety and academic freedom of students, faculty, staff and community members in the CSU advocating for justice in Palestine.”
The resignation email was written by Arik Davidyan, a Sac State biology professor, along with Sonoma State’s psychology professor Missy Garvin and anthropology professor Alexis Boutin.
The members announced their resignations on May 1 in an email titled, “Why I am leaving our faculty union, and maybe you should, too.” The email cited several reasons for their exits, including claims that CFA’s resolution does not support Jewish students and faculty.
“For that reason, I chose to resign,” Davidyan said. “The resolution fails to do something that should be done, and what should be done is supporting all our students without excluding a specific group.”
Nine other CSU faculty members signed in support, all of whom were either from Sac State or Sonoma State. Students at both of these campuses have established pro-Palestine encampments.
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Davidyan said that he supports a ceasefire in Gaza, is critical of Netanyahu’s government and supports Palestinians’ right for self-determination. But at the same time, he also supports the Jewish people’s right to the land.
Davidyan said that the issue has become so binary that people are unable to appreciate the gray area.
“It’s automatically seen as supporting genocide, even though I also support Palestinians’ right for self determination on the land,” Davidyan said. “It’s becoming very polarized.”
President of CFA Sacramento and Sac State sociology professor Anne Luna said CFA anticipated some members would resign over the resolution, but these voices are in the minority. Luna also said the majority of members are in support of the resolution, which is why it was able to pass..
“We can say we’re for anti-racism and social justice, but if we’re not willing to take the risk to speak up, to speak truth to power, then what is the point of the collective power that we wield?” Luna said. “What is the point if we’re not willing to take a risk when other people are dying every day?”
Luna said CFA is dedicated to social justice, academic freedom, freedom of speech and supporting students, and that the union needs to embody that mission in support of Palestine.
The CFA stands firm on its resolution and is focused on building solidarity among its members.
The resignation email comes just two days after students set up a pro-Palestine encampment in the Library Quad on April 29.
Hamzah, a Sac State senior at the encampment, was disappointed at the news of the CFA resignations.
“You’re on a college campus. There’s courses talking about historic oppression and the questioning of powers,” Hamzah said. “It’s a little ridiculous to me.”
Additional reporting by Michael Pepper.
