A former Indian River State College professor filed a federal employment discrimination suit against the school and its president, alleging he was abruptly fired because he is Muslim.
On March 1, 2024, IRSC fired Syed Ammar Ahmed, an adjunct political science instructor of Pakistani descent, after the school received a security alert that he appeared on a “Homeland Security database due to terrorist threats,” email records show.
IRSC did not provide evidence that such a database existed, and the only proof were blog posts Ahmed made as a teenager, the lawsuit reads.
The school later drafted an apology and reinstatement letter after realizing he was “wrongfully terminated,” which officials did not send until August 2024 when Ahmed’s lawyers hinted they were considering legal action.
Ahmed, represented by the nonprofit Muslim Legal Fund of America, filed suit in December 2025 for discrimination and First Amendment violations.
A federal judge denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss the case on June 17, and Ahmed’s civil rights claim is moving to trial.
An IRSC spokesperson said the school does not comment on pending litigation.
Former professor sues IRSC, president and board member
The lawsuit listed as defendants the District Board of Trustees for Indian River State College, President Timothy E. Moore and an unnamed Florida Board of Education Member.
Moore was included because, as president, he oversaw personnel decisions and did not direct officials to reinstate Ahmed after he was cleared. CFO Marvin Pyles wanted to reinstate Ahmed, but Moore allegedly directed Pyles and General Counsel Melany Crawford to hold the letter, the suit reads.
Pyles is a plaintiff in his own lawsuit against IRSC for alleged whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination.
Muslim professor wrongfully fired for ‘terrorist threats’
When Ahmed noticed he was not on the Spring 2024 semester schedule, he contacted Dean of Liberal Arts Scott Stein to ask why. Stein did not respond.
Six weeks later, former Human Resources Officer Jennifer Brown contacted Ahmed to tell him he was fired, effective immediately. She said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement sent IRSC’s Chief of Campus Safety an alert that he appeared on a federal database for “terrorist threats.”
Campus Safety Chief Salvatore Cardella told Ahmed the concern stemmed from a 2010 Facebook post he reportedly made when he was 16 years old. In the post, Ahmed joked that he lost a debate because, “they dont like [me] cause I am terrorist lol.”
Cardella also forwarded him a link to a story from FrontPage Magazine, self-described as “the internet’s go-to source for conservative political commentary.” The article called Ahmed an “Islamist/racist/Socialist professor” who should be “shipped out of the US immediately.”
Records show Ahmed was not given a chance to refute the claims before his firing. In response to his termination letter, Ahmed noted the college fingerprinted him and that he passed several background checks, including TSA Pre-Check.
Since Ahmed’s hiring in June 2019, he has not had any disciplinary issues, the suit reads.
“The allegation stemmed from an anti-Muslim article written by an extremist commentator, combined with decade-old social media posts from when Professor Ahmed was a minor — none of which created a legitimate security concern,” his attorneys said in a statement.
IRSC drafts an apology to Muslim professor
After learning Ahmed did not pose a threat, Cardella drafted an apology letter that reads:
“I am writing this letter to apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced due to actions taken by Campus Safety and Security. Our main priority is to ensure the safety and security of our staff, faculty, and students. However, there are situations where swift decisions need to be made due to the severity of the circumstances. Unfortunately, mistakes can occur when we are trying to be proactive.”
Cardella reiterated via email to HR director Brown that Ahmed was eligible to be reinstated and “no longer poses a threat to the college.”
“There is more to this than just updating his file,” Brown replied. “Please keep in mind I wrongfully terminated an employee based upon the information I was supplied.”
The school sent the reinstatement letter after Ahmed’s lawyers contacted the school Aug. 28, 2024.
Florida laws concerning Muslims
Ahmed’s termination comes amid a larger push to limit the rights of Muslim Americans, the suit reads.
“This case, however, is bigger than this single termination,” it says. “It reflects a troubling pattern of hostility towards American Muslims living in Florida, emanating from the highest levels of the Florida government.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis in December designated one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in the country as a “foreign terrorist organization.” The executive order singled out the Florida chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as well as the Muslim Brotherhood.
A federal judge ruled the move unconstitutional in March.
After the court ruling, DeSantis in April signed a law allowing certain public officials to designate terrorist organizations, which was used to target Muslim groups.
Florida has also moved to exclude Islamic schools from its school voucher program and ordered state universities to disband pro-Palestinian student organization from campuses.
Jack Lemnus is a TCPalm enterprise reporter. Contact him at jack.lemnus@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1345, or follow him on X @JackLemnus.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fired Muslim prof sues Florida college despite apology, reinstatement
Reporting by Jack Lemnus, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jack Lemnus, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
