Summarised by Centrist
A professor at Bakersfield College in California has secured a USD$2.4m (NZD$4.1m) settlement after facing disciplinary action for questioning the use of grant funds for social justice initiatives.
Matthew Garrett, formerly a tenured history professor, will receive monthly payments over the next 20 years and a one-time payment for back wages and medical benefits.
While a monetary victory for Garrett, he has agreed to resign from his job as part of the settlement. The college has, in turn, withdrawn and sealed all accusations and reports of “unprofessional conduct” against him.
The settlement follows Garrett’s federal First Amendment lawsuit alleging retaliation by the Kern Community College District, violating his civil and constitutional rights and academic freedom.
Garrett, a founder of the Renegade Institute for Liberty, faced opposition from faculty and administrators for his conservative views and for joining the campus diversity committee.
He was accused of making it difficult to enact DEI initiatives. His comments against a proposed “racial climate task force” led to his recommended termination.
Garrett’s colleague and co-plaintiff in the federal lawsuit, Professor Erin Miller, will continue and is still employed by the college, but claims she is subject to ongoing retaliation.
