Good for Professor Gerber; when you are realistically able to do so, always fight, fight FIGHT!!
And don’t be afraid of stepping on toes. They have already been standing on yours for a long while.
I don’t understand why the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) isn’t even mentioned. For my 40+ years of university teaching, they were always there to back up the professor. There’s something odd going on here.