A longtime Millsaps College professor is suing the school after being fired for calling the United States a “racist fascist country” in an email to students. The lawsuit centers on whether the private Mississippi college violated its own policies when it dismissed the tenured faculty member. The case raises broader questions about political expression in higher education and how institutions handle faculty speech that attacks the nation itself.
James Bowley taught religion and politics at Millsaps for more than twenty years. On November 6, 2024, the day after the presidential election, he emailed the three students in his “Abortion and Religions” course to cancel class and wrote that the country needed time to mourn and process “this racist fascist country.” According to the lawsuit, the college placed him on administrative leave the next day and later terminated his employment.
College officials said Bowley used an official school account to inject personal political views into the classroom without clarifying that those views were his alone. Administrators argued that such statements damaged the academic environment and violated professional expectations. Bowley disputes those claims and says no written policy banned personal comments in faculty emails.
A faculty grievance committee reviewed the case and reached a different conclusion. The panel found no specific handbook rule Bowley had violated and recommended reinstatement, financial compensation, and a written apology. Millsaps leadership rejected the recommendation and upheld the termination. Bowley then filed suit on September 26, 2025, claiming breach of contract and unlawful retaliation.
Bowley argues that his email constituted protected academic speech, even at a private college. Millsaps, as an institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church, is not bound by the First Amendment. Still, the college maintains official commitments to academic freedom, which Bowley claims the administration ignored. His suit seeks reinstatement, back pay, and damages.
The case highlights increasing friction within higher education over political rhetoric that disparages the United States. Many conservative families, alumni, and donors have grown concerned about faculty using classroom platforms to frame the nation as irredeemably racist or oppressive. The incident at Millsaps illustrates how quickly tensions escalate when those views are delivered directly to students. It also shows how private colleges may respond more decisively when faculty statements contradict institutional values or risk damaging trust with students and parents.
