 Tenure outcomes have vaulted MIT into the national spotlight on several occasions . The 1984 dismissal of David F. Noble , a historian of technology , became a cause célèbre about the extent to which academics are granted freedom of speech after he published several books and papers critical of MIT 's and other research universities ' reliance upon financial support from corporations and the military . Former materials science professor Gretchen Kalonji sued MIT in 1994 alleging that she was denied tenure because of sexual discrimination . Several years later , the lawsuit was settled with undisclosed payments , and establishment of a project to encourage women and minorities to seek faculty positions . In 1997 , the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination issued a probable cause finding supporting UMass Boston Professor James Jennings ' allegations of racial discrimination after a senior faculty search committee in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning did not offer him reciprocal tenure . In 2006 – 2007 , MIT 's denial of tenure to African @-@ American stem cell scientist professor James Sherley reignited accusations of racism in the tenure process , eventually leading to a protracted public dispute with the administration , a brief hunger strike , and the resignation of Professor Frank L. Douglas in protest . April Simpson of The Boston Globe reported on February 6 , 2007 : " Less than half of MIT 's junior faculty members are granted tenure . After Sherley was initially denied tenure , his case was examined three times before the university established that neither racial discrimination nor conflict of interest affected the decision . Twenty @-@ one of Sherley 's colleagues issued a statement yesterday saying that the professor was treated fairly in tenure review . " 
