A federal judge refused to dismiss a free speech lawsuit Friday alleging Ohio State University wrongly fired a professor for using the n-word in a class focused on controversial discourse.
The former professor, Mark Sullivan, used “the n-word for an educational purpose” and “that speech is protected” under the First Amendment, U.S. District Judge Michael Watson wrote, according to an excerpt from the ruling published at Reason.
Sullivan is suing the university for firing him in 2021; he wants his job back and damages.