Louisiana Court Upholds LSU Professor's Suspension for Offensive Remarks

A Louisiana appeals court upheld the suspension of LSU law professor Ken Levy, who was penalized for using vulgar language about Gov. Jeff Landry and President Trump in a constitutional law class last month. Levy, a tenured faculty member, is under investigation following student complaints over his remarks, which he claims were made jokingly to underscore First Amendment rights and enforce a no recording policy in class. The appeals court's decision reverses East Baton Rouge District Judge Donald Johnson's order to reinstate Levy, stating that a "full evidentiary hearing" is necessary.

Levy's legal action argues that his suspension undermines his academic freedom and free speech. His attorney, Jill Craft, commended the appeals court for maintaining parts of a temporary restraining order preventing LSU from retaliating against Levy. Craft said: "What it means is his rights are protected and LSU can't take any action against him and so that's a good thing."

On the other hand, LSU's attorney, Jimmy Faircloth, Jr., labeled the upheld restraining order provisions as "superfluous," emphasizing that LSU understands and adheres to legal compliance. Faircloth said the order "doesn't do anything other than tell LSU 'you can't break the law' which we know and we're not doing." LSU's Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Todd Woodward, clarified that Levy's suspension is not about academic freedom but concerns "inappropriate conduct" in class. Woodward added: "Our investigation found that Professor Levy created a classroom environment that was demeaning to students who do not hold his political view, threatening in terms of their grades, and profane."

A hearing is scheduled for Monday. The incident is compared to a previous November event when Gov. Landry publicly pushed for disciplinary action against another LSU professor, Nicholas Bryner, for similar criticisms of Trump, though Bryner remains at the university. Recently, Landry expressed via a social media post that Levy's actions should not be allowed at publicly funded institutions. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)