A college in Oregon has agreed to pay simply over $1 million to a Jewish professor who the college fired after he reported a number of incidents of alleged sexual misconduct and antisemitism.
Linfield College, a non-public college in McMinnville, settled with English professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner for $1,037,500 to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit, in keeping with native press reviews and the Jewish Telegraphic Company.
The settlement, first reported by The Oregonian, is supposed to cowl the professor’s misplaced wages, emotional misery and legal professional charges. Whereas the settlement protects Linfield from additional authorized motion by Pollack-Pelzner, it does not forestall him from speaking in regards to the case.
Pollack-Pelzner, now a visiting scholar at Portland State College, mentioned he is happy with the end result.
Folks attend the “No Worry: Rally in Solidarity with the Jewish Folks” occasion in Washington July 11, 2021. It was cosponsored by the Alliance for Israel, Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith Worldwide and different organizations. (AP Picture/Susan Walsh, File)
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“Everybody ought to be capable to work and examine with out worry of discrimination or harassment, and everybody ought to be capable to report their security issues with out worry of retaliation,” mentioned Pollack-Pelzner, in keeping with The Oregonian. “I am grateful for the various college students, alumni and colleagues who joined me in demanding change and refused to be silenced when Linfield didn’t uphold these important rules.”
Pollack-Pelzner had accused the college’s president, Miles Davis, of constructing antisemitic remarks in entrance of him, together with jokes about fuel chambers and feedback in regards to the dimension of Jewish noses. The professor additionally repeatedly raised issues about pupil and school allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate contact by the college’s board trustees.
Pollack-Pelzner was fired in April 2021, shortly after going public with these and different allegations. He realized about his termination when he tried sending an electronic mail from a private deal with to his Linfield electronic mail and acquired an automatic response telling him he was not employed.
After he was fired, Pollack-Pelzner sued the college for $4 million, claiming he was fired resulting from retaliation. Pollack-Pelzner was a tenured professor and commenced educating at Linfield in 2010. He held an endowed chair in Shakespeare research till his abrupt termination in late April 2021.
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A subsequent investigation by the American Affiliation of College Professors discovered that Linfield violated a number of insurance policies in its remedy of Pollack-Pelzner. Among the many alleged violations had been dismissing Pollack-Pelzner with out due course of, violating his tutorial freedom and refusing to offer him at the least one yr of severance pay or discover of termination.
“In the end, we hope his case sends a transparent message that sexual harassment should not be tolerated on any campus and that establishments that search to silence whistleblowers shall be held to account,” mentioned legal professional Dana Sullivan, who represented Pollack-Pelzner.
Linfield did not admit any wrongdoing and disputed Pollack-Pelzner’s claims however agreed to the settlement nonetheless on the suggestion of the college’s insurers.
“Defending in opposition to litigation, even when assured within the authorized consequence, diverts time and vitality from the mission of the establishment,” Linfield Affiliate Vice President for Strategic Communications Scott Nelson mentioned in an announcement. “Extra importantly, this settlement permits Linfield to deal with constructing and increasing upon its wealthy instructional heritage and making a welcoming group for all.”
A number of folks affiliated with Linfield left the college in solidarity with Pollack-Pelzner within the wake of his firing, together with the trustee who had endowed the professor’s chair within the English division.
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Davis stays Linfield’s president regardless of calls from the Anti-Defamation League, the Oregon Board of Rabbis and different teams for his resignation.
Final yr, the Basis for Particular person Rights in Schooling ranked Linfield as considered one of its “10 worst faculties free of charge speech.”
