Harvard Ex-Professor, Called Web Sheriff, Loses Tenure Case (1)

Harvard beat a former business professor’s lawsuit claiming the school departed from its rules when it denied him tenure following high-profile incidents, including his viral communications with a Chinese restaurant over an alleged $4 overcharge.

The Tuesday decision backed Harvard’s claim to discretion over its promotion processes and decision-making in the case of Benjamin Edelman, who was once lauded as the “sheriff of the internet” for his online activism and scholarship.

The ruling highlights the broad discretion courts give to universities in deciding who deserves tenure, absent clear written promises.

Harvard’s review of Edelman’s tenure prospects in 2015 focused on ...