The University of Washington (UW) has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a First Amendment lawsuit filed by Professor Stuart Reges. The four-year legal battle centered on Reges's inclusion of a parody land acknowledgment on his course syllabus, which he argued infringed on his First Amendment rights. The university, however, maintains that it acted appropriately and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.
Reges, a professor in UW's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, stated that he became concerned about a "new orthodoxy" being imposed on university campuses, often under the umbrella of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He described land acknowledgments, which recognize the historical ties of Indigenous peoples to the land, as "somber declarations intended to imply that land was stolen from local tribes."
Reges chose to express his disagreement by creating a parody version of the land acknowledgment for his course syllabus. This action led to the university censoring his syllabus, apologizing to students, and creating a separate section of his course to allow students to avoid his instruction. The university also spent over a year investigating whether Reges should face disciplinary action.
Assisted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Reges sued the university. While the case was initially lost at the district level, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in his favor. The appellate court stated that "Student discomfort with a professor’s views can prompt discussion and disapproval. But this discomfort is not grounds for the university retaliating against the professor. We hold that the university’s actions toward the professor violated his First Amendment rights."
Reges expressed surprise that the university continues to assert it acted appropriately. He noted that Washington State University, along with three other major public universities in Washington, filed an amicus brief in support of UW, arguing that making it harder for public universities to ensure safe learning environments is not advisable. Reges believes this stance undermines the educational goal of teaching students how to cope with disagreement and engage in open debate, which he sees as crucial for addressing complex public policy issues.
The professor also reflected on the lengthy and isolating nature of the legal process. He credited FIRE for its support, emphasizing their role in defending free speech principles, regardless of political alignment.