An English professor at South Florida State College has filed a federal lawsuit against the college president, alleging she was unlawfully fired after assigning a controversial short story to her class. The complaint, filed Wednesday, centers on the decision by South Florida State College President Fred Hawkins to suspend and not renew the contract of Vinita Prabhakar following objections to the assigned reading.

Prabhakar, who has taught at the public community college since 2023, assigned students Ottessa Moshfegh’s award-winning story “Bettering Myself” for her introductory reading and writing course. The narrative, told from the perspective of a fictional teacher who struggles with excessive drinking and drug use while discussing sexual topics with students, had been part of Prabhakar’s curriculum for nearly a decade without prior incident.

According to the lawsuit, the controversy began in February when a student reported feeling “mild discomfort” after reading the story. President Hawkins reportedly expressed his objection, saying he would not want his college-age daughter exposed to the material. Without a formal complaint or prior disciplinary steps, Hawkins suspended Prabhakar and notified her that her contract would not be renewed. The suit claims the decision was made swiftly and was influenced by communications between Hawkins, the board of trustees, and officials in Tallahassee.

Prabhakar’s attorneys, including representatives from a free speech advocacy organization, argue that her teaching of “Bettering Myself” is protected under both the First Amendment and Florida’s campus free speech laws. They contend that public officials cannot suppress speech merely because they disapprove of its content or fear backlash. The lawsuit highlights longstanding tensions in Florida over educational content, particularly under Republican leadership that has sought to limit discussions on topics related to race, gender, and sexuality in schools.

Governor Ron DeSantis has been a vocal proponent of restricting what he calls “liberal indoctrination” in education. His administration has enacted laws limiting instruction on gender and sexuality in lower grades and passed the Stop WOKE Act, which aimed to curtail certain teachings on race and sexism in both K-12 and higher education. However, portions of this law affecting higher education were recently struck down by a federal appeals court, which criticized it as an overreach that unjustly restricts academic discourse.

Prabhakar maintains the assignment’s intent was to challenge students by exposing them to diverse narrative voices, including those of flawed or “unlikable” characters, a common pedagogical approach in literature studies. She said her supervisors had previously approved the reading materials and that the student who complained eventually completed the assignment and participated in class discussions without issue.

The suit also raises questions about Hawkins’s qualifications and leadership, noting he was appointed president despite lacking advanced academic degrees—a decision facilitated by the board lowering educational requirements. Critics have pointed to Hawkins’s close ties with DeSantis and the expectation by trustees that the college president would align with conservative educational policies.

Prabhakar expressed hope that her legal challenge would not only restore her position but also protect academic freedom for other educators. She added that students were deprived of valuable learning opportunities by the administration’s actions.

Efforts to reach Hawkins and South Florida State College officials for comment were unsuccessful.