Ohio University to Pay $400K to Professor Who Rejected Trans Student’s Pronouns
agreed to pay a $400,000 settlement to a professor over disciplinary action related to his refusal to use a transgender student’s pronouns.Philosophy professor Nicholas Meriwether initially sued the school back in 2018, following disciplinary action triggered by his refusal to adhere to the school’s policy of using pronouns commensurate with a student’s gender identity.
Meriwether resisted, citing his beliefs as a Christian. He offered the compromise of using “any name the student requested instead of titles and pronouns,” according to a statement issued by his attorney.
However, the school opened a Title IX investigation over his treatment of the student, leading Meriwether to file a suit claiming his First Amendment rights were being violated.The suit was initially dismissed in 2018 when a federal court decided it had lack of standing, however last year a three-judge appellate panel revived the suit and passed it down to a lower court.
Ultimately, the school opted to settle the case, calling it an “economic decision.”“Though we have decided to settle, we adamantly deny that anyone at Shawnee State deprived Dr.
