The case was initially dismissed, appealed, largely won by the plaintiff through a temporary injunction, and finally and recently made permanent. From Inside Higher Ed:
...In a 2023 lawsuit, [history professor Daymon] Johnson accused administrators of penalizing him and other professors for expressing conservative political and social views based on the system’s DEIA principles, including that faculty “employ teaching, learning, and professional practices that reflect DEIA and anti-racist principles” and demonstrate “proficiency in DEIA-related performance to teach, work, or lead within California community colleges.” He claimed the mandate would force him to express views he didn’t believe...
The settlement turns a preliminary injunction granted by a federal court in February into a five-year permanent injunction that prevents administrators from investigating, disciplining or terminating Johnson for political speech.** But he’s still required to attend mandatory DEIA training to serve on a faculty screening committee. Johnson also won $150,000 toward his attorneys’ fees, according to the Institute for Free Speech, which represented him in the lawsuit...
Full story at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/07/13/bakersfield-settles-professor-suing-over-dei-principles.
Note that although the case involved DEI issues at a community college, a similar case arising from UC would likely produce the same effect, regardless of the particular topic. Forced speech in an academic setting maintained by a state entity would likely be found illegal,
===
*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2025/02/more-on-community-college-dei-statements.html.
**The court decision is at:
https://ecf.caed.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_temp.pl?file=14621022-0--95548.pdf&type=application/pdf.
No comments:
Post a Comment