Three days ago, the New York Post reported that Hunter College was looking to hire a scholar in Palestinian studies. The job ad read:

We seek a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality.

It took less than a New York minute for Governor Kathy Hochul to order the job listing taken down and for City University of New York (CUNY) leaders to comply. According to Hochul’s office, “Hateful rhetoric of any kind has no place at CUNY or anywhere in New York State.” The hateful rhetoric in question? These words and phrases: “settler colonialism,” “genocide,” and “apartheid.”