Ohio Northern reinstates professor fired after DEI criticism
A professor at Ohio Northern University (ONU) who critiqued Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies has been reinstated after being fired by the university.
America First Legal (AFL), which represented Gerber, announced that ONU has agreed to reinstate the professor in a recent settlement.
A professor at Ohio Northern University (ONU) who critiqued Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies has been reinstated after being fired by the university.
Dr. Scott Gerber, a professor of law at ONU, had previously sued the school, arguing that he was fired because of his opposition to DEI, as noted by The Daily Caller.
In 2023, Gerber authored a piece in The Cincinnati Enquirer critiquing DEI policies, writing that “jobs are frequently set aside for minorities and women, and conservative and libertarian white males need not apply, or so it seems.”
Gerber argued in his 2024 lawsuit that ONU breached their contract by firing him “in retaliation for his outspoken opposition to racial discrimination in hiring.”
“In 2023, Ohio Northern University and certain of its employees decided to terminate Dr. Gerber’s employment, motivated by a desire to retaliate against him based on his unpopular views and his raising concerns about illegal conduct—including racially discriminatory hiring—at the University,” his lawsuit continued.
America First Legal (AFL), which represented Gerber, announced that ONU has agreed to reinstate the professor in a recent settlement. Through the settlement, ONU agreed to reinstate Gerber “to his former position and faculty rank,” while Gerber agreed to voluntarily “deliver his retirement letter immediately ending his employment” at the school.
As part of the settlement, ONU acknowledged “that Dr. Gerber provided outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service,” was not a public safety risk, and did not “act with moral turpitude.”
“Dr. Gerber should be commended for his courage in filing complaints about what he perceived as ONU’s consideration of race and sex in hiring professors, which is illegal,” Nick Barry, Senior Counsel at America First Legal, stated about the suit.
[RELATED: Over 70 California community colleges participate in race-based scholarship program]
Campus Reform reported earlier this year about the passage of Senate Bill 1 in Ohio, which prohibits DEI policies and programs in the state.
Multiple schools in Ohio have changed their policies in anticipation of the legislation going into effect, including Ohio University, which announced earlier this year that it would completely eliminate its DEI offices.
Ohio State University also eliminated an LGBT page from its website, with a spokesperson saying that “[p]rograms and activities that are for or intended to primarily benefit a specified group” could violate the new legislation.
Campus Reform has contacted Ohio Northern University, America First Legal, and Scott Gerber for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
