Under fire over a decision about professors serving as expert witnesses in a high-profile elections lawsuit, University of Florida leaders are appointing a task force to review the school’s conflict-of-interest policy.
University President Kent Fuchs and Joe Glover, the school’s provost and senior academic affairs vice president, posted a message on the UF website Monday announcing the formation of the task force.
The message said the task force will look at the conflict-of-interest policy for “consistency and fidelity.
While the existing policy was revised just last year, it is critical to ensure the policy advances the university’s interests while protecting academic freedom.”
Professors Daniel Smith, Michael McDonald and Sharon Austin were set to testify as plaintiffs’ witnesses in a federal lawsuit challenging a new Florida election law that, in part, makes it harder for people to vote by mail.
But the university drew widespread criticism after a document filed by the plaintiffs on Friday said the university notified the professors that they would be prohibited from testifying in the case.
According to the court document, the university told the professors that “outside activities that may pose a conflict of interest to the executive branch of the state of Florida create a conflict” for the university.
The university later said the professors could testify if they don’t get paid or use school resources --- a position reiterated in the message Monday from Fuchs and Glover.
The message said that “if the professors wish to testify pro bono on their own time without using university resources, they are free to do so.”