A Florida district court lawsuit alleges a college president fired an English professor for teaching a story deemed “political,” escalating academic freedom concerns tied to curriculum and classroom content decisions. The complaint says South Florida State College President Fred Hawkins objected to the assignment of Ottessa Moshfegh’s “Bettering Myself” after a student expressed discomfort. According to the lawsuit, Hawkins told the professor he would not want his own college-aged daughter reading the work and later communicated that the president had final say in the matter. The professor was removed from the classroom and her contract was not renewed after administrators and the president discussed the issue with reference to state-level leadership and board involvement. The case is being supported by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is representing the professor in her effort to challenge the firing and seek reinstatement. The dispute highlights how extramural content judgments can quickly become employment decisions within higher education governance. The reporting frames the controversy as part of a broader environment where faculty speech and teaching discretion face heightened scrutiny, increasing legal and reputational risk for institutions when disciplinary action is tied to ideological disagreement.