Colorado Moves to Fire Tenured Philosophy Professor

The University of Colorado at Boulder has moved to fire a tenured philosophy professor, David Barnett, saying that he retaliated against a graduate student who reported that another graduate student had sexually assaulted her, The Daily Camera reported. The victim accused Barnett of preparing a report that depicted her as "sexually promiscuous," and saying that she made up the allegations. The Boulder philosophy department has been the subject of intense scrutiny and criticism over its treatment of women. Barnett declined to comment, but his lawyer said he would fight the dismissal. "Every male member of the CU philosophy department already has had his reputation damaged as a result of the administration's selective release of information," the lawyer said. "Now, even though professor Barnett is not accused of harassing anyone, the administration is attempting to make him the scapegoat." (Note: This story has been updated from a previous version to reflect that the graduate student, not the university, has publicly accused Barnett of preparing a report that was damaging to her reputation.)