A judge ordered Louisiana State University to reinstate a professor who was relieved from his teaching duties after he used vulgar language to criticize Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) and President Donald Trump during one of his classes.
Judge Tarvald Smith ruled on Tuesday that LSU cannot interfere with tenured law professor Ken Levy’s employment, including suspension, over the incident.
Levy was caught on a recording saying “F*** the governor,” in reference to Landry, and “I couldn’t believe that f***er won,” in reference to Trump. The self-described Democrat was administratively removed from the classroom following an anonymous student complaint, despite suggesting he was only joking.
“Everyone was vulnerable if I lost this,” Levy said after Smith’s ruling. “So my win is their win.”
An attorney representing LSU argued that initial findings showed Levy created an environment that may have been demeaning to students who do not share the same political views as their professor. Levy’s attorney argued that his removal violated his academic freedom and right to due process.
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While Levy was not allowed to teach before Smith’s preliminary injunction, he was still being paid and was allowed to remain on campus as the school investigated the matter.
The school’s attorney previously argued that Levy’s lawsuit was premature because of this, but Levy’s attorney argued that “he’s suffered a deprivation and that’s why we’re here.” The judge agreed that Levy “has every right” to pursue legal action.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
