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Linfield University in April terminated Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, Ronni Lacroute Chair in Shakespeare Studies, citing his breaches of “duty” to the institution. Pollack-Pelzner, a faculty trustee, recently said that members of Linfield’s Board of Trustees had retaliated against him for urging that they do more about reported sexual misconduct among their ranks. Pollack-Pelzner, who is Jewish, also said that some members of the board, including Linfield president Miles Davis, made anti-Semitic comments to and about him. The dismissal stunned academic groups nationally.
Now he is suing the university. Oregon Public Broadcasting said the firing violates protections for whistle-blowers against retaliation, as well as breaching the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act, “which prohibits employers from restricting employees’ ability to communicate about sexual harassment and assault,” according to a statement from the professor’s legal team.
Scott Nelson, a spokesman for Linfield, said in an email to OPB, “It is disappointing but comes as no surprise that former professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner has filed this lawsuit. We believe his claims are without merit and we will not let them be a distraction from the important work underway at the university.”
