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University of Minnesota Reaches $250,000 Settlement With Professor After Rescinding Job Offer
Just the facts
The settlement resolves allegations that the University of Minnesota violated constitutional rights and academic freedom when it revoked Dr. Raz Segal's employment offer five days after extending it in June 2024. Segal, an associate professor at Stockton University and dual Israeli-American scholar, had been recommended for the directorship by a faculty search committee before university officials faced pushback over his writing characterizing Israeli military operations in Gaza as genocide. Public records obtained by the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represented Segal, revealed that university administrators received extensive correspondence from donors and state lawmakers prior to rescinding the offer. Under the terms of the agreement, the $250,000 payment does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the university, and the directorship position remains unfilled.
Why this is news
The University of Minnesota agreed to pay a $250,000 settlement to historian Raz Segal after rescinding an offer for him to direct its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The university withdrew the appointment in June 2024 following opposition from donors and local groups regarding commentary Segal published about Gaza.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.