Until recently, American scholar Maitland Jones was the byword for excellent teaching in the field of organic chemistry.
The 84-year-old taught the subject for decades both at Princeton and New York University, as well as penning a noted book, "Organic Chemistry". He received awards for his teaching, according to New York Times.
All of a sudden, everything turned upside down for Jones: he was dismissed by the New York University after some students signed a petition blaming him for their poor test scores.
82 of his 350 students signed the petition against him, saying that the course that Jones taught was too hard.
Despite Jones' proven track records as well as personally defending his standards, university deans terminated Dr. Jones' contract at the start of fall semester, reports say.
The petition by the students says that they are concerned about their scores as they are not an accurate reflection of time and effort put into the class.
It added that as quoted by The New York Times, "a class with such a high percentage of withdrawals and low grades has failed to make students' learning and well-being a priority and reflects poorly on the chemistry department as well as the institution as a whole."
Students also alleged that Jones didn't offer enough exams or extra credit opportunities alongside the course being too difficult. He was accused of speaking to students in a condescending manner.
Jones firing quickly led to reaction on social media with many commenting on it, at least some called it ridiculous saying that organic chemistry is a "notoriously' difficult course.
The difficult that students feel, according to some experts, is meant to keep qualifications high for those entering medical field.
Defending his work, Jones blamed students for having less focus, especially since the coronavirus pandemic.