A University of Guam professor is fighting his punishment handed down against him by the institution of higher learning's president, following some comments sent to others during the election using his official UOG email address. The professor’s appeal - already denied by UOG leaders - is now making its way to the board of regents.

And the controversy has now gotten the attention of the national Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, calling for UOG to lift the punishment.

Dr. Ron McNinch is no stranger to both the political and education scenes. "My name is not 'Ron University of Guam McNinch'. I am a separate individual," he stated. He's fighting to have the warning put on his record by UOG President Dr. Thomas Krise lifted.

During talks of this year's The Great Debate that never happened, McNinch, using his UOG email, wrote to colleges and separately to students, in part, giving advice to stay out of this election and pushing for the debate to still proceed. Dr. Krise earlier this month issued a letter of warning, saying McNinch violated his agreement with UOG and the faculty union agreement.

He called McNinch's emails insulting, rude, and belligerent to the political candidates invited to The Great Debate. "I don’t think I said anything negative about any of the candidates," McNinch said. He was denied his appeal on the warning by UOG leadership. And he's now taking it to the board of regents.

"This issue doesn’t just affect me," said the professor. "It affects every college professor anytime they speak in the classroom and in the public."

Additionally, FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is coming to his defense calling for UOG to lift the punishment, arguing the university is legally bound to protect his First Amendment rights.

"I’ve been working with KUAM at least since 1998, I regularly give commentary, I regularly have discussions with the public, I regularly share research, what our outcomes may be, what our polling says. There is nothing different really that much with what I said," McNinch said.

"I’m a political scientist, so how do I separate my political speech - which is part of my profession - from anything else? It is just not a health approach and I hope the university will take this an opportunity to improve its policy," McNinch stated.

It's an improvement McNinch says is long overdue, noting, "I hope the public and our elected leaders will discuss this. I hope our board of regents will discuss this and talk about what are the boundaries."

KUAM reached out to UOG, but they declined comment, saying it’s a personnel matter.