Jury: FAU Prof Not Fired Over Sandy Hook Blog Post
A federal jury rejected a fired professor's claim that he was fired by Florida Atlantic University for his Sandy Hook denier blog posts.
January 29, 2018 at 11:03 AM
2 minute read
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
U.S. DISTRICT COURT, WEST PALM BEACH
A jury found a professor's termination was not motivated by his controversial blog denying anyone was killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.
On Jan. 8, 2016, James Tracy was fired from Florida Atlantic University. Tracy claimed he was fired because of his controversial beliefs about the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which he expressed on his internet blog in December 2012. Tracy sued the public university, people affiliated with it and his union. Only the claims against the university's board of trustees went to trial.
Defense counsel claimed Tracy, who denied anyone died at Sandy Hook, was fired for refusing to comply with directives to fill out the required outside activities-conflict of interests form and, if the university wanted to fire Tracy for his writings, it would have done so after his initial post.
Case: Tracy v. Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees
Case No.: 9:16-cv-80655-RLR
Plaintiffs attorneys: Matthew Alan Benzion, Benzion Law Group, Wilton Manors; Steven Michael Blickensderfer and Richard J. Ovelmen, Carlton Fields, Miami; and Louis Frank Leo IV and Joel D. Medgebow, Medgebow Law, Coconut Creek
Defense attorneys: Gerard Joseph Curley Jr., Roger William Feicht, Holly Lynn Griffin and Sara Nicole Huff, Gunster, Orlando; and Daniel A. Jones, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, Boca Raton
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