A former tenured professor at the University of Cincinnati has filed a lawsuit claiming officials retaliated against him and essentially “destroyed his career” after he spoke up against diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Former Professor Brian Calfano, an award-winning journalist who served as the journalism department chair since 2021, filed the lawsuit in late February.
“First, he objected when the University imposed an unauthorized, race-based hiring policy that violated its own bylaws,” the lawsuit alleges. “Second, he supported a female colleague who reported sexist conduct by a male faculty member.”
These actions prompted a series of events in which “administrators systematically destroyed his career, his reputation, and nearly his life,” the lawsuit alleges.
University of Cincinnati’s media relations division did not respond to requests for comment from The College Fix.
The dispute began in February 2024 when Calfano appointed Meghan Goth, a white woman, as faculty advisor to the student newspaper, The News Record. According to the lawsuit, this task was part of his role as department chair.
“At the time of her appointment, she had worked for roughly fifteen years as a news manager at local news outlets in greater Cincinnati across multiple platforms, including newspaper, digital, and television,” the lawsuit states, adding she held a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and is an alumna of the University of Cincinnati’s journalism department.