The University of Arkansas abruptly withdrew a job offer for a named law‑school dean after Republican state lawmakers objected to her signing an amicus brief supporting transgender athletes. Emily Suski, an associate dean at the University of South Carolina, said she was “disappointed and hurt” after the university cited feedback from external stakeholders in rescinding the appointment. State politicians publicly urged the university not to hire Suski; the provost’s office attributed the reversal to feedback from “key external stakeholders.” The episode follows a national pattern of political actors intervening in public‑college hiring decisions to contest candidates’ views on diversity and gender policy. Higher‑education officials and legal scholars warn the incident underscores mounting political pressure on academic hiring and the narrowing of permissible viewpoints in public institutions. Universities face intensified scrutiny over governance autonomy, faculty recruitment, and the legal risks of politically driven personnel reversals.