Conservative California professor reaches multimillion-dollar settlement after free speech lawsuit
Professor Matthew Garrett will be awarded $2.4 million as part of a recent settlement agreement with the Kern Community College District
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A California community college district agreed to pay $2.4 million to a conservative professor in a recent settlement agreement after years of legal battles between the two parties.
"After five years of administrative misconduct, a decisive courtroom display exonerated me of all allegations and exposed that Kern Community College District engaged in flagrant retaliation for my questioning of partisan policies and wasteful expenditures," Matthew Garrett reacted in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Facing an imminent ruling in my favor and the prospect of paying millions of dollars in damages, KCCD had only one viable option: settlement."
Garrett, previously a tenured history professor at Bakersfield College in southern California, filed a federal lawsuit against the Kern Community College District (KCCD) in 2021. In the lawsuit, Garrett claimed school officials retaliated against him and a colleague for questioning if grant money was being improperly used to fund social justice initiatives on campus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Garrett also claimed that he and other faculty members of a free speech coalition on campus were targeted with false allegations after they asked questions during a campus diversity meeting in October of 2022.
PROFESSOR WHO WAS FIRED AFTER REPORTING ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS WINS $1M IN SETTLEMENT WITH UNIVERSITY
Bakersfield College history professor Matthew Garrett recently reached a settlement agreement with the district over his suspension. (YouTube/The Bakersfield Californian)
The district Board of Trustees voted to fire him in April of 2023, alleging he had engaged in multiple instances of "immoral and unprofessional conduct," which Garrett adamantly denied.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The professor contested his suspension in court. The two parties agreed to a settlement last month to end all disputes and claims surrounding Garrett's employment after Garrett's lawyers argued his case before an administrative law judge in May.
The district pledged to deliver a $2.4-million payment to Garrett as part of the settlement agreement that was obtained by Fox News Digital. The agreement covers "alleged general and emotional distress damages," as well as attorney fees. The total payment includes a one-time payment of $154,520.00 for back wages and medical benefits since his dismissal.
Under the settlement, Garrett agreed to resign from his position in the district. Administrators also agreed to withdraw its reports and accusations of unprofessional conduct from Garrett's record and seal documents related to punitive action it took against him from his personnel file.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The settlement agreement isn't an admission of wrongdoing for either party, it says. (Getty Images )
The settlement says the agreement isn’t "an admission of any wrongdoing or liability by either the District or Garrett."
A district spokesman for KCCD provided the following statement to Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The Kern Community College District (KCCD) has settled all issues with Matthew Garrett. Matthew Garrett has voluntarily resigned from his employment and all litigation on this matter has been resolved. KCCD believes the settlement is in the best interest of the District and allows us to focus on the future and continue to deliver quality higher education for students of Kern County without any further legal distractions. To be clear, the dispute with Matthew Garrett was a disciplinary matter due to his disruptive actions on campus, none of which concerned freedom of speech. Kern Community College District unequivocally supports the right for our students and faculty to share their views and opinions on campus and elsewhere. As a District, we create an environment that provides our diverse students and communities with the opportunity to professionally engage with new ideas."
"As this is a confidential personnel matter, we will not comment further."
Garrett said he was grateful for the support he's received and declared the settlement a victory.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I am grateful to the many who stood by my side during this difficult time and invite them to join in our triumph. To my colleagues at Bakersfield College and nationwide, I say: Keep the faith; we are winning the battle, one case at a time," his statement continued.