The University of Arkansas has withdrawn a job offer to Emily Suski as dean of its law school because she signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief supporting transgender athletes. The university announced last week that Suski would be the new dean. She is currently an associate dean at the University of South Carolina’s Rice School of Law, Arkansas Times reports. The Arkansas law school posted Wednesday on its website, “Recently, the university announced its intention to hire Professor Emily Suski as its next dean of the School of Law, to begin July 1, 2026. After receiving feedback from key external stakeholders about the fit between Professor Suski and the university’s vacancy, the university has decided to go a different direction in filling the vacancy. University officials are very grateful for Professor Suski’s interest in the position and continue to hold Professor Suski in high regard. We wish Professor Suski well as she moves forward with her career.” Related: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Clamps Down on Gender-Neutral Language in Official Arkansas Documents Related: 11 Times Sarah Huckabee Sanders Was Just Plain Terrible University officials have not commented further, but a Democratic Arkansas legislator, Rep. Nicole Clowney, wrote on Facebook that Suski’s stance on trans athletes offended conservatives in the state. “After the deal was done and the hire was announced, a few state legislators along with at least one constitutional officer became aware that the newly hired Dean had signed onto a ‘friend of the court’ brief in a lawsuit challenging laws regarding transgender athletes in sports ,” Clowney wrote. Suski was one of 17 academics signing the brief. Friend-of-the-court briefs, also known as amicus briefs, are filed by people and organizations not involved in a case but wishing to express an opinion. The U.S. Supreme Court heard cases Tuesday regarding Idaho and West Virginia laws that prevent trans student athletes from competing on teams matching their gender identity. “There is nothing about signing onto this brief that would impact Prof. Suski’s ability to serve as Dean,” Clowney continued. “Unsurprisingly, administration of high school athletics programs does not fall into the job description of the Law School Dean. But Arkansas officials weren’t concerned about Prof. Suski’s ability to carry out the functions of the Dean. Instead, the signature alerted Arkansas elected officials that Prof. Suski may share different political views than they do on this one issue. That, for reasons too frightening for me to even fully comprehend, was enough for multiple state elected officials to threaten to substantially reduce funding in the upcoming fiscal session.” Clowney called the action “a horrifying, unprecedented, and absolutely unconstitutional abuse of state power” and “quite literally state government prohibiting the free exercise of speech.” It will probably dissuade others from taking jobs at the university, she said. Democratic Arkansas state Sen. Greg Leding also commented on Facebook , writing, “It's likely no more complicated than it looks: A few delicate souls down at the Capitol took issue with Professor Suski’s signing on to an amicus brief in a lawsuit challenging transgender athletes and communicated those concerns to the decision-makers. And fearing what might happen, the decision-makers reversed course.” Republicans control the governor’s office and both houses of the legislature, which “makes life hard for state-supported institutions, but it would be nice if a few our bigger — let's say at the very least the flagship-sized — institutions showed a bit more courage, or at least a willingness to publicly engage before privately capitulating,” Leding added. A few of those Republicans have spoken on the matter. “There’s no way the people of Arkansas want somebody running and educating our next generation of lawyers and judges [to be] someone that doesn’t understand the difference between a man and a woman,” Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester told the Arkansas Advocate (no relation to this publication). He said he was surprised that “this person who has these beliefs made it through the initial scanning processes.” He added that he didn’t threaten the university’s funding, but “there’s just a basic understanding that the legislature controls the purse strings.” Republican Attorney General Tim Griffin had concerns, his spokesperson said. “The attorney general simply expressed his dismay at the selection and his confidence that many more qualified candidates could have been identified,” spokesperson Jeff LeMaster told the Arkansas Advocate. “He never requested or even contemplated that the offer be rescinded, but he applauds the decision nonetheless.” Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders , who was White House press secretary in Donald Trump’s first term, likewise praised the university’s move through a spokesperson. “Governor Sanders appreciates the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, for reaching the commonsense decision on this matter in the best interests of students,” said a statement from spokesperson Sam Dubke. He wouldn’t say if Sanders was involved in the decision. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Arkansas affiliate objected strongly to the university’s withdrawal of the job offer to Suski. “We are deeply troubled by reports that the University of Arkansas is terminating the newly hired Professor Emily Suski as Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law after a two-year national search — not because she was unqualified, but because she exercised her First Amendment rights in a court of law,” said a statement from Executive Director Holly Dickson. “That is not just wrong. It is unconstitutional.” “If this precedent stands, it will not stop here,” Dickson continued. What is done to one person today can be done to anyone tomorrow, when political power changes hands. That is exactly why the First Amendment exists. This is an attempt to carve out the heart of the First Amendment and replace it with political loyalty tests. Every faculty member, student, alumnus, and Arkansan who values free expression should be demanding answers — and accountability. The ACLU of Arkansas stands firmly with Professor Suski and calls on the University of Arkansas to reverse course, reject political interference, and recommit to the constitutional principles universities are meant to defend, not discard.”