Texas College Agrees to Pay $70,000 to Settle Lawsuit After Firing History Professor Who Criticized

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Mike Pence

Lora Burnett, a Texas educator who was fired from her job as a professor at a public college after tweeting commentary critical of then-Vice President Mike Pence, has won a settlement from her former employer that she and her attorneys are calling a “victory.”

Lora Burnett was fired from a public college after she tweeted critically of then-vice president Mike Pence.

The former Collin College history professor accepted an offer from the North Texas school to pay a judgment of $70,000 and attorneys’ fees over her First Amendment lawsuit filed in October 2021.

The college made the final judgment offer on Jan. 13, 2022. Under the terms of the offer, which was open for 14 days from the date of service, the school “does not admit liability.” Burnett accepted her former employer’s offer on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 by way of a brief one-page filing in a Sherman, Texas-based federal court.

“I hope I am the last professor that Collin College fires for exercising her First Amendment rights, but if history is any indication, no one who has an opinion is safe from Collin College leaders’ thin skin,” Burnett said in a statement provided to Law&Crime by her attorneys. “We should all be protective of the rights granted by the Constitution — and stand up to defend them when they’re violated.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-college-agrees-to-pay-dollar70000-to-settle-lawsuit-after-firing-history-professor-who-criticized-mike-pence-school-officials/ar-AAT8zUf

[drmeow]

1. Only $70,000?

Given how hard it is to get faculty positions, that's some serious BS. That probably doesn't even cover 1 years salary plus fringe!

[stopdiggin]

2. my own thought as well

this hardly sounds like a resounding 'victory' ...
Glad that she won .. but this sounds more like a nuisance lawsuit settlement .. and for chump change at that

[drmeow]

4. It is possible she was an adjunct

or part time faculty member (at a community college that is more likely to be a thing - although I'm not sure in history, that's usually in very applied fields) which would make the settlement more reasonable but the article didn't say that.

[petronius]

8. The statement from the college at the bottom of the article says she was

on a one-year contract which was not renewed. So not "fired" exactly, but the reasons for the non-renewal were sketchy at best...

[drmeow]

9. Renewing 1 year term contracts

At community colleges is usually pro forma unless your student evaluations really suck! But that does explain the lower payout!

[Dr. Strange]

3. Cool.

Kudos to FIRE for representing her.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. And no admission of liability ? They got off too light. nt

[Mysterian]

6. So, now Collin "College" knows how much the First Amendment is worth

$70,000.

[Mysterian]

7. Collin "College"