Gay Professor Wins $600,000 Settlement Over Syllabus Joke

A gay computer science professor has won a massive legal battle against the University of Washington after four years of fighting over a joke in his syllabus. Stuart Reges received a $600,000 settlement from the Seattle institution. The university will pay out this sum without admitting any fault or wrongdoing. A spokesman stated clearly that the school maintains its position that it acted appropriately throughout the process.

The trouble started when Reges decided to mock the standard land acknowledgement used on campus. Most syllabi state that the university 'acknowledges the Coast Salish people of this land.' In 2022, Reges included a parody version in his own class materials. His fake statement read: 'I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington.'

When administrators discovered this text they launched disciplinary proceedings against him immediately. The school claimed his actions violated its anti-harassment policy. Reges was allowed to keep teaching during the entire investigation and he still holds his faculty position today. A divided panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in December that the university had violated his First Amendment rights.

Reges told the Daily Mail he hopes this settlement sends a strong message to public universities everywhere. He wants staff and students to respect free speech rights fully. His goal is for learners to cope better with disagreement. 'Only then can we heal the deep divisions that confront us today,' Reges said. The professor remains firm on his view that land acknowledgements are merely performative gestures.

He also criticized what he calls a woke movement of increasing orthodoxy within higher education. According to him, saying something they do not like instantly marks you as wrong and immoral. Reges expressed particular disappointment with QPP, the gay student group in his department. He claims this organization pushed hard for his punishment during the legal battle.

Reges alleges that UAW Local 4121 consistently went after him as well. This labor union represents academic workers across the region. They filed a grievance claiming he was guilty of sexual harassment. The union even filed an amicus brief supporting the university in court. Reges described these restrictions on free speech as 'the new closet.'

He says many faculty members now come to his office and close the door before speaking. These colleagues tell him they would love to say what he does but simply do not dare. They fear retaliation if they speak their minds openly. The Daily Mail reached out to the University of Washington, QPP, and UAW Local 4121 for comment on these claims. No response was received from any of those groups yet.