University of Pittsburgh Loses 14th Amendment Claim Over 1-Year Unpaid Professor Suspension
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Law · Aug 17
University of Pittsburgh Loses 14th Amendment Claim Over 1-Year Unpaid Professor Suspension
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Law · Aug 17
Summary
A Pennsylvania federal district court granted partial summary judgment to a tenured professor on his Section 1983 due process claim against the University of Pittsburgh.
The court found Pitt failed to give adequate notice of the sexual-misconduct charges and lacked sufficient procedures before and after suspending him without pay.
The sanctions at issue were a 1-year unpaid suspension and removal from the professor’s endowed chair for alleged violations of the university’s sexual misconduct policy.
The ruling addresses procedural fairness under the 14th Amendment rather than the underlying misconduct allegations, marking a setback for the university’s disciplinary process.