University of Texas Beats Professor’s DEI-Based Retaliation Case

Employers can legally discipline employees through threats, the Fifth Circuit ruled Friday, handing a win to the University of Texas at Austin which was sued by a right-leaning professor that criticized the school’s stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Richard Lowery, an assistant professor in finance, failed to establish harm because he never lost his job and received a pay increase, the court said, affirming UT’s trial court win. Lowery says university officials threatened his position at a campus policy lab for encouraging donors to not give the school money because it supports DEI practices. It wasn’t until Lowery set ...