PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Linfield University has agreed to pay $1 million to a former English professor who accused the private McMinnville school of unlawfully firing him for whistleblowing.
In July 2021, Dr. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner filed a lawsuit claiming that the university unlawfully terminated him for calling attention to reports made by students and faculty alleging university trustees and the president of sexual harassment.
Linfield fired Pollack-Pelzner on April 27 after he allegedly spread false statements about the university, employees and the trustees, Pamplin Media Group first reported.
Following an investigation into Pollack-Pelzner’s termination, the American Association of University Professors found Linfield had violated generally-accepted principles of academic freedom. This finding led AAUP to add Linfield University to its list of censured administrations.
According to the AAUP, Pollack-Pelzner was “fulfilling his responsibilities as the faculty’s elected representative to the board of trustees, and his speech and conduct were protected by principles of academic freedom.”
The lawsuit claimed Pollack-Pelzner “engaged in legally protected activity when he took Linfield trustees and administrators to task for not adequately addressing campus safety issues.”
Multiple Linfield staff members stepped down after Pollack-Pelzner was fired.
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