James Tracy claimed that FAU fired him because of controversial conspiracy theories he shared on his blog. Photo by Michelle Friswell

After a 10 day period in which he could appeal his pending termination, Florida Atlantic fired communication professor James Tracy on Monday.

The university informed Tracy that it was taking steps to relieve him of his duties on Dec. 16.

A conspiracy theorist, Tracy recently re-entered the national spotlight after a public dispute with parents Veronique and Lenny Pozner, whose son Noah died in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. The Pozners’ ire came when Tracy asked them for paperwork to verify that their son had in fact existed.

Tracy previously claimed that the Sandy Hook massacre and other American mass shootings were staged by the United States government. He did so through his personal blog, Memory Hole, and was reprimanded by the school for not establishing that his views did necessarily reflect those of the university.

According to the letter given to Tracy, his reason for termination was not on the basis of the claims, but for failure to submit a “Report of Outside Employment or Professional Activity Form,” that was required by the faculty collective bargaining agreement.

Tracy, a tenured professor who has worked at the university since 2002, will appeal his firing. According to a media spokesperson, alternate professors will be assigned to teach the three classes Tracy was scheduled for this spring. The termination will be effective Jan. 8.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Check back at upressonline.com for updates.

Ryan Lynch is the Multimedia editor of the University Press. For tips regarding this or other articles, he can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter.