Lima News, Ohio Northern Settles With Former Professor:
Ohio Northern University entered into a settlement agreement with a former professor who sued the school and top university officials for reportedly firing him in retaliation for his political views.
The agreement, signed by Ohio Northern President Melissa Baumann and former law professor Scott Gerber on March 19, brings an end to years of litigation between the parties two weeks before the case was set to be heard by a jury in Hardin County.
Ohio Northern agreed to reinstate Gerber to his former position and faculty rank, in exchange for Gerber’s agreement to retire immediately upon reinstatement, according to the settlement agreement filed in Hardin County Common Pleas Court.
Ohio Northern acknowledged through the agreement that Gerber “provided outstanding teaching, scholarship and service during his years on the Ohio Northern University faculty.”
The university also acknowledged Gerber “at no time was ever a public safety risk to any member of the ONU community nor acted with moral turpitude,” resolving a defamation claim Gerber raised in his lawsuit.
The settlement calls for Ohio Northern to dismiss with prejudice a lawsuit against Gerber in U.S. District Court, with court costs paid by the university.
In return, Gerber agreed to discontinue any complaints or lawsuits against Ohio Northern and cease publication of his planned memoir “Cancelled.”
Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:
- Wall Street Journal Op-Ed (Scott Gerber), DEI Brings Kafka To My Law School (May 10, 2023)
- Law.com, Tenured Law Professor Pulled From His Classroom Faces Termination. He Wants To Know Why? (May 25, 2023)
- Law.com, Law School Seeks To Terminate Tenured Professor Accused of Bullying (Aug. 2, 2023)
- Law.com, A Deep Dive Into The Attempt To Fire Tenured Law Professor (Aug. 16, 2023)
- Daily Mail, Terminated Tenured Law Professor Sues University, Claims He Was Fired For Opposing DEI (Jan. 27, 2024)
- FIRE, With Jury Trial Pending In Termination Of Tenured Law Prof, University Sues Over His WSJ Op-Ed And Lawyer’s Press Release (Feb. 19, 2025)
Editor’s Note: If you would like to receive a daily email with links to legal education posts on TaxProf Blog, email me here.
