ABKF, proudly partnering with America First Legal, successfully represented law professor Dr. Scott Gerber in a lawsuit against Ohio Northern University. Dr. Gerber, a tenured law professor, sued the university in the Hardin County Court of Common Pleas, contending that he had been illegally fired in retaliation for raising objection to DEI hiring practices at the law school. Dr. Gerber further alleged that the University breached his contract, and that it defamed him through communications falsely saying that he posed a safety threat and engaged in acts of moral turpitude.
Shortly before the case was to proceed to trial, the parties agreed to settle the case. The parties agreed not to discuss settlement terms beyond those set forth in an entry published to the court’s docket. But in those terms, the University (1) agreed to reinstate Dr. Gerber to his previous position and allowed him retire at his previous rank; (2) acknowledged that Dr. Gerber had “provided outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service during his years on the Ohio Northern University faculty; and (3) acknowledged that Dr. Gerber never posed a safety threat or acted with moral turpitude during his tenure at the University.
The attorneys on this matter included Julie Byrne, Ben Flowers, and Andrew McCartney from ABKF, and Nick Barry and Jacob Meckler from America First Legal.