# Indian-origin professor sues Florida college over dismissal 2026-08-15T13:30:37+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Indian-origin academic Vinita Prabhakar has sued South Florida State College after the institution dismissed her following a dispute over a short story assigned to first-year English students. Her lawyers allege that college president Fred Hawkins objected to Ottessa Moshfegh’s “Bettering Myself”, which explores addiction and a teacher’s moral decline, and ordered Prabhakar to stop teaching it. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is representing her. Prabhakar says she was placed on administrative leave and later told her contract would not be renewed, without a formal hearing or clear explanation of any breached policy. She is seeking reinstatement. The case comes during Florida’s wider dispute over classroom content, including restrictions backed by Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration under the Stop WOKE Act. ## Coverage - english.mathrubhumi.com Tags: fire, Florida, South Florida State College, Vinita Prabhakar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indian-origin-professor-sues-florida-college-over-dismissal/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indian-origin-professor-sues-florida-college-over-dismissal/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.