A professor at Stanford University was removed from his position after a few students complained about his lecture on settler colonialism that touched on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The instructor filed a defamation and retaliation lawsuit in federal court.

Dr. Ameer Loggins’ attorneys, Derek Sells and Tracey Brown of the Cochran Firm New York, filed the suit against the university and a handful of individuals, including a colleague who labeled him as one of the “most racist faculty members” on Stanford’s campus.

During the class for freshman students at Stanford, College 101, Dr. Loggins engaged his students in a discussion about settler colonialism and talked about Native Americans.  In continuing this discussion, he also sparked dialogue about dehumanization, Israel, and Gaza. Loggins continued the general lecture, mentioning other groups in recognition of the rich diversity that makes up Stanford’s student body. After the lecture on October 10th, 2023, a few students complained to Stanford officials. The next day, the professor was suspended.

According to Stanford University President, Richard Saller, and Provost, Jenny Martinez, Dr. Loggins “…addressed the Middle East conflict in a manner that called out individual students in class based on their background and identities,” and was accused of antisemitism.

Loggins, who had been suspended since the incident, learned that his contract expired April 1st, 2024, and was not renewed. As noted in the lawsuit, Stanford violated its own personnel policy by issuing a public statement about Loggins’ suspension following pressure from students. The lawsuit went on to say that the backlash left the professor feeling “extremely shocked, hurt, and taken aback by these allegations and offended by this discriminatory investigation,” including five pages of racist and threatening emails that he received following the suspension.

The professor experienced relentless harassment, including threats of violence, doxing online, and racial and religious harassment.   

Loggins noted that Stanford treated him differently than law professor Joseph Bankman, the father of Sam Bankman-Fried, whom in a different lawsuit, was alleged to have directed a $5.5 million donation from FTX to Stanford. Bankman allegedly paid for a law student to attend a Formula One event in France, and later became employed by FTX, according to a lawsuit from the FTX estate. Loggins noted that Stanford did not investigate or suspend Bankman.

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