USC Professor Drops Free Speech Case Over Covid-19 Racism Row

A former University of Southern California professor agreed to end a federal lawsuit claiming his free speech rights were violated by the initiation of disciplinary action for allegedly racist comments he made relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Judge Dale S. Fischer of the US District Court for the Central District of California on April 18 dismissed with prejudice Joel Hay’s claims against USC; school president Carol Folt; and a former USC vice president, Catherine Spear. Both sides agreed USC’s win in a Los Angeles Superior Court proceeding challenging Hay’s dismissal from the faculty of USC, and his subsequent unsuccessful appeal, ...