The University of Arkansas rescinded a contract to hire Emily Suski as law school dean after Republican state lawmakers objected to her signing an amicus brief supporting transgender athletes. University officials cited “feedback” from “key external stakeholders,” and Suski said the move reflected outside political influence rather than her qualifications. Reporting from The Chronicle and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette shows top state Republicans intervened directly, urging the university not to go forward; the reversal followed public pressure from lawmakers. Suski had been an associate dean at the University of South Carolina’s law school. Why it matters: the episode underscores growing state-legislature influence over campus hiring and illustrates how politically charged legal advocacy by scholars can trigger personnel reversals, with implications for faculty recruitment, academic freedom, and institutions’ ability to attract legal scholars.