logo
Cal Poly professor suspended for pushing police barricade at Pro-Palestine protest

Cal Poly professor suspended for pushing police barricade at Pro-Palestine protest

Yahoo08-06-2025
A Cal Poly English professor will be suspended for one month without pay for their conduct at one Pro-Palestine protest last year.
The Office of the Provost accused Shanae Aurora Martinez — who uses 'they/she' pronouns — of 'unprofessional conduct' for their behavior at January and May protests in 2024 — the first which exploded into a confrontation between police and protesters that ended in violent arrests.
A Faculty Hearing Committee recommended a one-month suspension without pay for Martinez because they joined other protesters to push on a metal police barricade at the January demonstration. However, the committee did not think that Martinez's behavior at the May protest violated campus policies.
On Friday, President Jeffrey Armstrong approved the committee's decision — making it official.
Martinez's suspension begins on Sept. 11, which is the the first day of the fall quarter for faculty, according to Cal Poly's academic calendar.
'Dr. Martinez stated that she was at the protest to support students' right to protest and to serve as a peace liaison,' the letter from the committee said. 'While we applaud her desire to support Cal Poly students and combat inequity, we note that pushing on the barricade goes beyond what would be expected of a peace liaison or a person simply supporting students' right to protest. Instead of just supporting their rights, she was actively involved in the protest.'
Cal Poly professor could face lighter penalty for Pro-Palestine protests
The committee included Cal Poly professors Samantha Gill, Gregory Schwartz and Pasha Tabatabai, with Crow White as the alternate member.
Because Armstrong agreed with the Faculty Hearing Committee's decision, Martinez cannot appeal the one-month suspension.
On Friday, Martinez's faculty representative San Jose State University professor Sang Hea Kil said she would have preferred that Martinez wasn't suspended without pay, but nonetheless, she was glad to see that the committee recommended a lesser penalty.
'It's still a victory in the sense that the faculty hearing panel saw the excessive and punitive nature of the Cal Poly school administration's approach toward Dr. Martinez and, you know, mitigated that,' she said.
Sang said she was also glad that the Faculty Hearing Committee's decision included 'protectionist language,' pointing out that they didn't want the punishment to continue after the one-month suspension. She hopes that discourages the university from using the incident against Martinez when considering their tenure promotion in the fall.
'My hope is that they'll do the right thing and honor what the faculty panel had said in their language, and not use this as further amplifying punishment against Dr. Martinez,' Sang said.
In February, the Office of the Provost sent Martinez a letter of pending disciplinary action, which recommended that they be suspended for two quarters without pay for their conduct during Pro-Palestine protests on Jan. 23, 2024, and May 23, 2024.
The office said Martinez's behavior violated the California Education Code of Conduct, the Campus Civility Statement, Cal Poly's Statement on Commitment to Community and the Faculty Code of Ethics.
The office, however, never shared precedent or policy that supported a two-quarter suspension.
In Tuesday's letter, the committee called an unpaid two-quarter suspension 'excessive.'
'This one situation does not and should not define Dr. Martinez or detract from all the good work she has been and is doing,' the letter said. 'It is important to emphasize that we believe Dr. Martinez's actions were not antisemitic.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation
Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation

Yahoo

time11 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) ("Faraday Future", "FF" or the "Company"), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, held a well-attended and impactful reception at the Capitol Hill Club this week, drawing over a dozen members of Congress and key stakeholders from across the policy and business landscape. The event served as a platform to highlight Faraday Future's ongoing efforts to bring advanced electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing jobs back to American soil. "We at Faraday Future have expressed our desire to play a role in the great American comeback we are seeing under this Administration, particularly as it relates to the automotive industry, which has been the bedrock of American industry for ages," said John Schilling, Global Director of Communications and Public Relations at Faraday Future. The event featured both FF's cutting-edge FF 91 2.0 electric supercar as well as its recently unveiled FX Super One MPV model. Attendees got a firsthand look at both products and experienced the technology, craftsmanship, and vision driving FF's expansion strategy. FF leadership, including FX CEO Max Ma, also met with staff at the White House earlier this week, which included an open dialogue on a number of policy topics such as tariffs, U.S. manufacturing and innovation. FF looks forward to continuing to work closely with the White House in the near future to promote the long-term prosperity of America's high-end manufacturing sector, centered around the automotive industry and its broader ecosystem. "We were extremely honored by the attendance of numerous members of Congress who were interested in both our vehicles, because who wouldn't be, but more importantly, our story about building and employing American," continued Schilling. "We're committed to expanding production here at home and look forward to working with Congress and the Trump Administration to help make that vision a reality." Faraday Future's leadership emphasized that the company is aligning with the current Administration's vision to reindustrialize America and revitalize core manufacturing sectors. With plans to increase domestic production and invest in U.S. jobs, Faraday is proud to be a part of a new chapter in American innovation. ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE Faraday Future is a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company. Founded in 2014, the Company's mission is to disrupt the automotive industry by creating a user-centric, technology-first, and smart driving experience. Faraday Future's flagship model, the FF 91, exemplifies its vision for luxury, innovation, and performance. The FX strategy aims to introduce mass production models equipped with state-of-the-art luxury technology similar to the FF 91, targeting a broader market with middle-to-low price range offerings. FF is committed to redefining mobility through AI innovation. Join us in shaping the future of intelligent transportation. For more information, please visit FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "plan to," "can," "will," "should," "future," "potential," and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others: the Company's ability to secure necessary agreements to license or produce FX vehicles in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere, none of which have been secured; the Company's ability to homologate FX vehicles for sale in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere; the Company's ability to secure the necessary funding to execute on its AI, EREV and Faraday X (FX) strategies, each of which will be substantial; the Company's ability to secure necessary permits at its Hanford, CA production facility; the Company's ability to secure regulatory approvals for the proposed Super One front grill; the potential impact of tariff policy; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and improve its liquidity and financial position; the Company's ability to pay its outstanding obligations; the Company's ability to remediate its material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and the risks related to the restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements; the Company's limited operating history and the significant barriers to growth it faces; the Company's history of losses and expectation of continued losses; the success of the Company's payroll expense reduction plan; the Company's ability to execute on its plans to develop and market its vehicles and the timing of these development programs; the Company's estimates of the size of the markets for its vehicles and cost to bring those vehicles to market; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company's vehicles; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the success of other competing manufacturers; the performance and security of the Company's vehicles; current and potential litigation involving the Company; the Company's ability to receive funds from, satisfy the conditions precedent of and close on the various financings described elsewhere by the Company; the result of future financing efforts, the failure of any of which could result in the Company seeking protection under the Bankruptcy Code; the Company's indebtedness; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the Company's ability to use its "at-the-market" program; insurance coverage; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company's products; potential negative impacts of a reverse stock split; potential cost, headcount and salary reduction actions may not be sufficient or may not achieve their expected results; circumstances outside of the Company's control, such as natural disasters, climate change, health epidemics and pandemics, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest; risks related to the Company's operations in China; the success of the Company's remedial measures taken in response to the Special Committee findings; the Company's dependence on its suppliers and contract manufacturer; the Company's ability to develop and protect its technologies; the Company's ability to protect against cybersecurity risks; and the ability of the Company to attract and retain employees, any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings, and volatility of the Company's stock price. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. View source version on Contacts Investors (English): ir@ Investors (Chinese): cn-ir@ Media:

Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation
Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation

Business Wire

time11 hours ago

  • Business Wire

Faraday Future Hosts Successful Capitol Hill Club Reception Showcasing Commitment to American Manufacturing and Innovation

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) ('Faraday Future', 'FF' or the 'Company'), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, held a well-attended and impactful reception at the Capitol Hill Club this week, drawing over a dozen members of Congress and key stakeholders from across the policy and business landscape. The event served as a platform to highlight Faraday Future's ongoing efforts to bring advanced electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing jobs back to American soil. 'We at Faraday Future have expressed our desire to play a role in the great American comeback we are seeing under this Administration, particularly as it relates to the automotive industry, which has been the bedrock of American industry for ages,' said John Schilling, Global Director of Communications and Public Relations at Faraday Future. The event featured both FF's cutting-edge FF 91 2.0 electric supercar as well as its recently unveiled FX Super One MPV model. Attendees got a firsthand look at both products and experienced the technology, craftsmanship, and vision driving FF's expansion strategy. FF leadership, including FX CEO Max Ma, also met with staff at the White House earlier this week, which included an open dialogue on a number of policy topics such as tariffs, U.S. manufacturing and innovation. FF looks forward to continuing to work closely with the White House in the near future to promote the long-term prosperity of America's high-end manufacturing sector, centered around the automotive industry and its broader ecosystem. 'We were extremely honored by the attendance of numerous members of Congress who were interested in both our vehicles, because who wouldn't be, but more importantly, our story about building and employing American,' continued Schilling. 'We're committed to expanding production here at home and look forward to working with Congress and the Trump Administration to help make that vision a reality.' Faraday Future's leadership emphasized that the company is aligning with the current Administration's vision to reindustrialize America and revitalize core manufacturing sectors. With plans to increase domestic production and invest in U.S. jobs, Faraday is proud to be a part of a new chapter in American innovation. ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE Faraday Future is a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company. Founded in 2014, the Company's mission is to disrupt the automotive industry by creating a user-centric, technology-first, and smart driving experience. Faraday Future's flagship model, the FF 91, exemplifies its vision for luxury, innovation, and performance. The FX strategy aims to introduce mass production models equipped with state-of-the-art luxury technology similar to the FF 91, targeting a broader market with middle-to-low price range offerings. FF is committed to redefining mobility through AI innovation. Join us in shaping the future of intelligent transportation. For more information, please visit FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release includes 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words 'plan to,' 'can,' 'will,' 'should,' 'future,' 'potential,' and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others: the Company's ability to secure necessary agreements to license or produce FX vehicles in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere, none of which have been secured; the Company's ability to homologate FX vehicles for sale in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere; the Company's ability to secure the necessary funding to execute on its AI, EREV and Faraday X (FX) strategies, each of which will be substantial; the Company's ability to secure necessary permits at its Hanford, CA production facility; the Company's ability to secure regulatory approvals for the proposed Super One front grill; the potential impact of tariff policy; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and improve its liquidity and financial position; the Company's ability to pay its outstanding obligations; the Company's ability to remediate its material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and the risks related to the restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements; the Company's limited operating history and the significant barriers to growth it faces; the Company's history of losses and expectation of continued losses; the success of the Company's payroll expense reduction plan; the Company's ability to execute on its plans to develop and market its vehicles and the timing of these development programs; the Company's estimates of the size of the markets for its vehicles and cost to bring those vehicles to market; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company's vehicles; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the success of other competing manufacturers; the performance and security of the Company's vehicles; current and potential litigation involving the Company; the Company's ability to receive funds from, satisfy the conditions precedent of and close on the various financings described elsewhere by the Company; the result of future financing efforts, the failure of any of which could result in the Company seeking protection under the Bankruptcy Code; the Company's indebtedness; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the Company's ability to use its 'at-the-market' program; insurance coverage; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company's products; potential negative impacts of a reverse stock split; potential cost, headcount and salary reduction actions may not be sufficient or may not achieve their expected results; circumstances outside of the Company's control, such as natural disasters, climate change, health epidemics and pandemics, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest; risks related to the Company's operations in China; the success of the Company's remedial measures taken in response to the Special Committee findings; the Company's dependence on its suppliers and contract manufacturer; the Company's ability to develop and protect its technologies; the Company's ability to protect against cybersecurity risks; and the ability of the Company to attract and retain employees, any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings, and volatility of the Company's stock price. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the 'Risk Factors' section of the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC.

Turn Up Knox director announces he's leaving to focus on his city council campaign
Turn Up Knox director announces he's leaving to focus on his city council campaign

Yahoo

time16 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Turn Up Knox director announces he's leaving to focus on his city council campaign

Denzel Grant is resigning as executive director of the violence intervention organization Turn Up Knox to focus on his campaign for the Knoxville City Council's District 6 seat. Officially, Grant will step down from the violence intervention program as of Aug. 31. "This has always been part of a larger plan," Grant said in a news release. "When Turn Up Knox was founded in 2022, I made a three-year commitment to help get the organization off the ground and make a lasting impact. I always knew this day would come - not because the mission was complete, but because my service was meant to evolve." Grant told Knox News he was concerned about being perceived as having a conflict of interest if he ran while leading an organization that applies for money from the city. Since 2022, the city had paid Turn Up Knox almost $1 million for violence interruption work before cutting ties with the organization early this year. "I'm stepping down to focus on the campaign and, if elected, to champion this work from a policy level, without any conflict of interest," Grant said in the release. "Running for city council has been a dream of mine since I was a kid growing up in East Tennessee." Grant said that Turn Up Knox would continue to operate under a new director. The Turn Up Knox board of trustees is considering two candidates to replace him. Grant said "no matter what," the work to reduce gun violence in Knoxville will be ongoing. If Grant wins election to the city council, he and the organization could cross paths again to collaborate on reducing gun violence in Knoxville, he said. "District 6 deserves leadership that understands both the pain and the promise of neighborhoods. If I'm fortunate enough to earn the trust of the people, I will take that seat not just as a candidate, but as a neighbor, a veteran, and a son of East Knoxville who's lived the challenges and carries the solutions." After its split from Turn Up Knox, the city contracted with the California-based National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform in May for more than $500,000 to manage violence interruption work. District 6 includes downtown and adjacent neighborhoods to the east and west. The other candidates running for the District 6 seat are Charles Frazier, Stan Johnson, George "Cat Dad" Raudenbush and Lawrence "Man" Williams. Knoxville City Council primary elections are Aug. 26, with early voting open Aug. 6-21. The top two candidates in each district will advance to the general election on Nov. 4. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Turn Up Knox director leaving to focus on his city council campaign Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store