Former Prof. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner settles with Linfield for $1 million
He sued Linfield in 2021 for wrongful
termination
By Kirby
Neumann-Rea, McMinnville N-R/News-Register Feb. 6, 2023
Nearly two years after his firing, professor
Daniel Pollack-Pelzner has settled out of court with Linfield University over
his wrongful termination lawsuit.
The university has agreed to pay $1,000,030 to
the former Linfield English professor.
“I feel relieved to be done with litigation, as
that was not a path I would have chosen if not for the violation of my academic
rights and freedom,” said Pollack-Pelzner, who filed a lawsuit against Linfield
in July 2021 for unlawful whistleblower retaliation. Linfield had abruptly
terminated Pollack-Pelzer’s employment in April of that year, after he
repeatedly called upon university leadership to address reports by students and
faculty of sexual harassment by university trustees and the president.
“I am grateful to the many students, alumni and
colleagues at Linfield and around the world who spoke up in defense of the
right to speak up and to report safety concerns without fear of retaliation,”
said Pollack-Pelzner said. “I hope it communicates clearly that if we don’t
uphold these principles there will be a real cost.”
Pollack-Pelzner said the university has 30 days
to pay the first half of the settlement and, once that is received, he and his
attorneys will formally withdraw the complaint.
Pollack-Pelzner said the agreement “met my
criteria of seven figures and non-confidential, so I could talk about it.” He
is now visiting scholar at Portland State University, teaching English and
theater.
Linfield issued the following email statement on
Monday:
“Linfield has agreed to resolve all legal claims
with former faculty member Daniel Pollack-Pelzner. The university has made its
position clear on the merits of the litigation, through filings and submissions
to the court,” said Scott Nelson, associate vice president for strategic
communications. “However, defending against litigation, even when confident in
the legal outcome, diverts time and energy from the mission of the institution.
We felt it preferable to resolve this situation and move on.
“The university’s insurers recommended the
agreement, and the decision is unlikely to have an impact on Linfield’s budget
or finances moving forward. Most importantly, this agreement allows Linfield to
focus on building and expanding upon its rich educational heritage and creating
a welcoming community for all,” Nelson said.
Nelson did not respond when asked to elaborate
on how the settlement might affect university policy and procedures.
“We are so proud of Dr. Pollack-Pelzner’s
unwavering courage to speak truth to power and to advocate for meaningful
change on behalf of his students and fellow professors at Linfield,” said
Pollack-Pelzner’s attorney, Dana Sullivan, “Ultimately, we hope his case sends
a clear message that sexual harassment must not be tolerated on any campus and
that institutions that seek to silence whistleblowers will be held to account.”
The American Association of University
Professors (AAUP) undertook its own investigation into Pollack-Pelzner’s
firing, citing issues of “academic freedom and due process” as serious concerns
meriting closer examination. The university repeatedly said it did not
recognize the AAUP’s standing regarding matters at Linfield, calling its
findings misleading and inaccurate. Nelson also declined this week to comment
on the AAUP report, which admonished Linfield for its retaliatory termination
of Pollack-Pelzner. Shortly after, the AAUP added Linfield to its list of
officially censured administrations — the AAUP’s first censure of any
university from Oregon.
