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Ferris State Fires Associate Professor After ICE Arrest

An internal review found misrepresented application details alongside job abandonment, with the dismissal documented in records released through a FOIA request.

Overview

  • Ferris State confirmed Sumith Gunasekera is no longer employed following his Nov. 12 arrest by immigration agents in the Detroit area.
  • Personnel records show he was placed on paid leave, charged with misconduct, and terminated on Dec. 11 after missing a Dec. 9 disciplinary hearing.
  • University investigators reported a conflict between his criminal history and information he provided on his employment application.
  • ICE alleges he is an undocumented immigrant from Sri Lanka and cites convictions from 1998 in Ontario for sexual interference and uttering a threat, plus a 2004 disorderly conduct conviction in Las Vegas.
  • He remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings and is listed at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan.