Georgia State University Rescinds Job Offer to Activist Over Phone Wiping Allegation

Job Offer Rescinded

Georgia State University rescinded a job offer for a Teaching Assistant position to activist Samuel Tunick. Tunick was scheduled to begin his role on August 25 but received an automated email six hours prior, stating he had not passed the required background check. This decision also resulted in the loss of a tuition waiver and wages for his Master of Science in Geosciences program.

Background of the Allegation

The university's decision is linked to an ongoing legal case involving Tunick. He is accused of wiping a security-focused Android phone before Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could search it. This case has garnered national attention due to its implications for digital privacy and the circumstances under which individuals can be charged without suspicion of a specific crime.

University's Stance and Tunick's Response

Tunick delivered a "demand letter" to the university, explaining his pending charge as "political repression" and a "civil liberties case." According to Tunick, his department head was informed by the university that there were no specific policies governing the decision, and it was instead a "subjective, and essentially arbitrary decision" made by a "Background Check Committee," the Dean of Students, and the legal department based on a case-by-case "risk assessment."

Impact on Tunick

The rescinded offer has impacted Tunick's economic security and academic career, as he lost both his tuition waiver and source of income. He maintains his innocence, having pleaded "not guilty" to the charge. Tunick also noted a past misdemeanor in Fulton County that was dismissed, but the university's decision appears to stem from the more recent phone-wiping allegation.