The University of Arkansas rescinded a job offer for legal scholar Emily Suski after state lawmakers objected to her signing an amicus brief about transgender athletes. Republican officials publicly criticized the hire and said the brief signaled unsuitability for the role; university leaders withdrew the offer amid escalating political scrutiny. The episode underscores growing state‑level influence over campus hiring decisions and the politicization of faculty selection, particularly in sensitive areas like gender policy. Legal scholars and higher‑education attorneys warned that such interventions risk chilling academic freedom and narrowing candidate pools. Provosts and search committees should anticipate intensified political review of high‑visibility hires in politicized disciplines and strengthen documentation and communications plans to defend shared‑governance processes.