A college professor has promised to consumer only water and sports drinks after the university's president overrode a nearly unanimous decision to grant him tenure

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EASTON, Pa. (AP) - A professor at a Pennsylvania college says he's on a hunger strike over the denial of his application for tenure.

Juan Rojo announced his plan during a faculty meeting on Tuesday and says he expects to continue teaching at Lafayette College in Easton through the rest of the semester. He says he plans to consume only water and sports drinks until the issue is resolved.

Rojo wrote about his decision on Facebook:

"I am embarking on a hunger strike in protest of the President's unilateral decision to deny me tenure and the Board's subsequent endorsement of that position. Let me be clear that I have thought long and hard about this course of action."

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A committee voted to recommend Rojo for tenure in December, but college President Alison Byerly denied his tenure, saying he didn't exhibit "distinctive" teaching abilities.

The post explains that the decision to give him tenure was nearly unanimous but that the university president overrode the recommendation. Rojo continued:

"Lafayette should not be a place where the voice of the faculty in the form of a 12-1 vote in support of tenure can ultimately be overturned by the top administrator, especially without just cause."

He acknowledged in the post that his hunger strike may hurt his academic opportunities in the future, but wrote that "cannot stand here and accept this decision that is contrary to the principles of self-governance on which this college and this faculty are founded."

Rojo has taught Spanish language and literature at the college since 2008.

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The college says it respects Rojo's right to disagree with the decision, but hopes he will express his views in a way that doesn't endanger his health.