By: Elianna Tsigler
On Sept. 16, 2025, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Student Senate convened its third general meeting, chaired by Vice President Fia Sanchez, where amends were made to the USG Constitution, multiple pieces of legislation were passed, and Professional Staff Congress (PSC) CUNY members spoke on the issue of the “Fired Four,” as well as the recent investigation into six more professors which occurred two weeks ago.
One of the key points discussed during the meeting was the issuance of executive orders and propositions.
Executive Orders 001 and 002 appointed new members to the cabinet to the positions: chief of staff, treasurer, club director, press director, events director, and student advocate.
Similarly, Executive Order 003 approved new members to the governing bodies of Brooklyn College. According to the USG Bylaws, Article 2, Section 3.5, “The President of USG shall send to the President of Brooklyn College a list of all College-wide committee appointments by the end of July and shall notify the Senate.”
Proposition 002 officially confirmed President Cyle Paul’s Executive Order 001 and appointed six new members to the cabinet.
Following the passing of these orders, BC Professor Mobina Hashmi and department representative David Arnow spoke on the matter of the “Fired Four.”
As previously reported by The Vanguard, a pro-Palestine demonstration took place on the Brooklyn College (BC) campus on May 8.
The following month, four adjunct professors received letters of non-reappointment, despite having been approved by their departments and scheduled to teach in the summer and fall semesters.
“President Anderson didn’t give any reason for this, until a certain point where she said they were fired for conduct, but we don’t know what conduct,” said Hashmi, who is also a Co-Chair of the BC Chapter of PSC CUNY.
Approximately two weeks ago, BC administration began an investigation into six full-time professors. Provost April Bedford conducted the investigations.
According to the PSC, these faculty members were being investigated for alleged misconduct under the Henderson Laws and BC event protocols, but there were no concrete allegations or reasons behind it.
At the USG Senate Meeting, Hashmi and department representative David Arnow spoke on the matter of the “Fired Four,” with Hashmi herself being one of the six professors who were recently investigated.
These professors were questioned about their whereabouts on the day of the protest and whether they had participated in planning it, yet they were never informed of which policies they had violated. They were simply told to come in for an investigation, and that even if they didn’t, it would continue without their presence or participation.
“What that means is I don’t know what I might be doing that will get me fired, which means that none of [the students] know what you might be doing that can get you expelled or disciplined as a student. Because we have no idea what this conduct is,” said Hashmi.
The confidentiality of both cases led to mass speculation about the issue. It is still unclear what reason the “Fired Four” were given for their non-reappointments, with an alleged connection between the professors and the demonstration on May 8 being a popular explanation.
The USG’s goal is to pass legislation that can improve the quality of life on campus and to protect students, and in order to combat the issue, they plan to either work on a joint call for the reinstatement of the “Fired Four” or write letters to the administration at Brooklyn College. There are plans to start contacting President Anderson and the Provost to find out more information about the issue and the reason why the professors were dismissed.
Robert Echevarria, a USG Senator and junior at BC, shared USG’s plan with The Vanguard.
“We’re going to be working on […] whether it be writing a joint resolution at calling for the reinstatement of the ‘Fired Four,’ or we’re going to be writing a letter to the administration, but regardless, we are going to start having conversations with key players in Brooklyn College administration, whether that be with President Michelle J. Anderson or that be with the Provost, April Bedford.”