Hours after an opinion column written by SIU professor Kathleen Chwalisz criticizing SIU President Randy Dunn and his recent handling of a proposal to shift money from the Carbondale to Edwardsville campus was published in the Southern Illinoisan, state lawmakers are calling on Dunn to resign.

State Representative Terri Bryant Thursday on the state house floor chided Dunn for the email and its language and then went on to call for him to resign immediately. Representative Natalie Phelps-Finnie, a Democrat representing Harrisburg and Hardin County, called the email, ‘not acceptable.’

SIU graduate and State Representative Chad Hays, a Republican from Catlin, told Dunn to ‘go to hell sir.’

Dunn has called the claims ‘bogus’ and says it’s all due to politics. He defended himself shortly after the story broke on NewsRadio WJPF, the inteview can be found in the podcast section of this website.

Carbondale Chancellor Carlo Montemagno didn’t dispute the claims in the opinion piece. Adding that any concerns are best addressed by the board of trustees.

Dunn defended himself again in a published op-ed Friday.