Summary
Summary
University of North Texas officials fired a math professor after he jokingly wrote a message on a chalkboard in the teachers' lounge. After discovering some flyers in the faculty lounge about “microaggressions,” Dr. Nathaniel Hiers wrote, “Please don’t leave garbage lying around” with an arrow pointing to the flyers. The following week, the head of the math department fired Hiers without notice by cancelling his contract to teach in the spring semester. Hiers is suing the university for violating his First Amendment rights.
Press Releases
-
ImageSeptember 22nd, 2022Texas university pays $165K to professor fired for writing a joke in the teachers’ lounge criticizing microaggressions
-
ImageMarch 15th, 2022Court: Professor may proceed with lawsuit against university after being fired for ‘microaggressions’ joke
-
ImageApril 16th, 2020ADF sues Univ. of N. Texas on behalf of math professor fired for joke about ‘microaggressions’
Case Documents
Court
Title
Date
Additional Resources
Related Resources
Case Profiles
Image

Michael Ross
Legal Counsel
Michael Ross serves as legal counsel for the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom
Image

Tyson Langhofer
Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Academic Freedom
Tyson Langhofer serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom.