There's a mid-80s movie-script writing itself over the City University of New York, where students are still in "shock" after the school failed to permanently hire Curtis R. Simmons, a two-year substitute assistant professor in the college's Media and Communication Arts department who is credited with turning the program around. Instead, the college offered the job "to an academic with no experience working in a newsroom."

Amsterdam News reports:

"It came as a shock to many, many students," said Richard Yeh, a rising City College senior who serves as managing editor of The Campus, City College's student paper, which Simmons advised. Over the past two weeks, Yeh and a number of Simmons' students have initiated letter-writing campaigns and petition drives. They also met with top school officials, demanding answers as to why Simmons was passed over for the job.

City College spokeswoman Mary Lou Edmondson tells the paper that the selection committee "was unanimous in recommending" Philip Kay for the job.

Simmons, who is black, adds: "With my departure from the department, there will be zero African-Americans and zero Latinos. That's particularly disturbing because 60 percent of our students are Black and Hispanic."

Dynamic CUNY Media Prof Replaced By Inexperienced Academic [NY Amsterdam News]