WASHINGTON (TNND) — A nematologist at Michigan State University is speaking out, following a lengthy battle to obtain tenure, after initially being denied.
Marisol Quintanilla told The National News Desk, in the fall of 2024, the university’s entomology department voted to deny her tenure despite high academic input, including over $6 million in grants. (TNND)
Marisol Quintanilla told The National News Desk, in the fall of 2024, the university’s entomology department voted to deny her tenure despite high academic input, including over $6 million in grants.
My department voted no. The majority of them voted not to support my tenure. My department chair also decided not to support my tenure,” Quintanilla said.
Quintanilla, a devout Christian, said she believes part of the reason for the denial was her refusal to comply with mandatory DEI requirements. Like writing a DEI statement as part of her annual review, listing her gender on university forms, and her open criticism of DEI statements. Including a Substack article she wrote in 2022, titled, “The new gender ideology is being used to coerce speech at universities.” Quintanilla argued conflicted with her faith.
I felt that by filling it, I was accepting that I was one out of 11 options and that sex is not biological but it’s like a social construct,” said Quintanilla.
Coming to her aide were multiple advocacy groups, including the ‘Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression,’ and the ‘Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism.’ ‘FAIR’ among those who wrote a letter to the then-interim dean at the university’s college of agriculture and natural resources, arguing Quintanilla was discriminated against.
There was precedent that the university could not decide what private articles I could publish or not. They could not tell me to take them down,” Quintanilla said.
Six months after the letter from ‘FAIR,’ the dean reversed the initial refusal, which was eventually upheld by the university president. A university spokesperson told The National News Desk that the letter didn’t lead to tenure.
Each submission for reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) review is considered on the merits of the case, according to university policy and procedure. A letter from any outside organization would have no bearing on the review process,” said Amber McCann, Director of Issues Management & University Spokesperson for Michigan State.
Quintanilla applauded the decision. Specifically, the interim dean, whom she says, put a lot on the line.
He made the right decision even though it risked him not becoming the dean, because he was the interim dean, and I’m sure he faced push back because of this decision,” Quintanilla said.
Quintanilla said throughout the process, she also faced widespread backlash. Both from graduate students and online. But she remains an employee at the university.