NJ professor suspended after defending blacks-only event on Fox News

NEWARK — An adjunct professor at Essex County College is questioning why she was suspended after appearing on Fox News Channel.

Lisa Durden says she learned about the suspension June 8 when she arrived to teach at the Newark school.

Durden, who is black, had appeared two days earlier on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," where she discussed a Memorial Day event for black people only that was staged by a Black Lives Matter group.

Durden says her suspension letter didn't mention her appearance but said administration officials discussed it with her.

Durden said, "Essex County College publicly lynched me in front of my students."

The Associated Press left messages seeking comment from a school spokesman. Jeffrey Lee, the school vice president who signed the suspension letter, issued a statement noting the college's attorney "has handled this matter in a way that complies" with state law.