Althouse: Professor Bret Weinstein settles his case against Evergreen State College for $500,000.

September 16, 2017

Professor Bret Weinstein settles his case against Evergreen State College for $500,000.

He (and his wife) originally sued for $3.85 million, and he is resigning from the job.

58 comments:

Gahrie said...: I wouldn't have settled.; 9/16/17, 7:00 PM
David said...: Sounds like he decided to grab a quick settlement and then put it all behind him. Good decision.; 9/16/17, 7:03 PM
Expat(ish) said...: If he and his wife were taking down $200K/year that is not much of a settlement.

Wonder if they could sue the students individually? Some parents have deep pockets, as Duke found out during the LAX case.

-XC; 9/16/17, 7:05 PM
Anonymous said...: What are you going to do when the Red Guards come for you, Ann?; 9/16/17, 7:07 PM
buwaya said...: He should have stayed and fought the war his destiny placed before him. Some of us are called, and he was.; 9/16/17, 7:16 PM
Gordon Scott said...: Eh. Hang around that madhouse for another couple of years, with various university officials giving you the stink eye? Nah, take it, run, find something better to do. Leave the asylum to the inmates.; 9/16/17, 7:24 PM
rcocean said...: "If he and his wife were taking down $200K/year that is not much of a settlement."

You don't know how much retirement benefits he's getting or whether he has another job lined up.

The real victims are the Washington State tax payers, but evidently they love their Lefty colleges so much, they'll toss away money.; 9/16/17, 7:25 PM
Michael K said...: I agree he settled too quickly and for too little. Maybe there is more we don't know.

He may have trouble getting another job.

A guy I know was forced out of a college (denied tenure) for his conservative views. His wife was chair of another department and they even tried to get her to stay, which counts as an attempt to break up the marriage.

They both moved and he is doing well but it was a horrendous experience.; 9/16/17, 7:31 PM
Rob said...: Evergreen State got off cheap. I expect they consider $500K a bargain not to have their dirty laundry aired and to escape a potentially much larger liability.; 9/16/17, 7:33 PM
Big Mike said...: Too little. You have to hit them in the wallet; it hurts more than being kicked in the head.; 9/16/17, 7:35 PM
Kathryn51 said...: rcocean said: The real victims are the Washington State tax payers, but evidently they love their Lefty colleges so much, they'll toss away money.

We don't love our lefty colleges, but Evergreen is located in our state Capitol (Olympia) and the Dem legislators and governor do love their little left college. Not one word of condemnation from them - but then Gov. Jay Inslee thinks he can be President one day.; 9/16/17, 7:38 PM
n.n said...: Color diversity (i.e. racism) continues it is... it's... its rabid progression.; 9/16/17, 7:54 PM
n.n said...: He may have trouble getting another job.

He's been outed as a yester-progressive, a lower state of liberalism. He must now seek tribal membership with his own kind, not on principle, but on date.; 9/16/17, 7:56 PM
The Vault Dweller said...: $500k sounds like a decent settlement for him and his wife. I think for wrongful termination suits people tend to usually only get about 1x-2x their annual salary in awards. There has to be something he can do. Though, not to sound elitist, but if he was teaching at Evergreen community college it might be hard for him to get another non-associate professor job.; 9/16/17, 8:09 PM
Earnest Prole said...: His career is screwed, so half a million dollars might just cover the costs of his now-useless education.; 9/16/17, 8:16 PM
Eric said...: And thus does Evergreen State move closer to its ideal state of nondiversity.; 9/16/17, 8:17 PM
Ambrose said...: He settled cheap - but let him enjoy his $300K after taxes; 9/16/17, 8:23 PM
Virgil Hilts said...: Talk about a toxic work place environment - imagine having to teach somewhere with a moron such as Naima Lowe screaming obscenities at you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doUn0WY33YU
Ms. Lowe is why Evergreen closes its doors within 5 years. Not the best hiring decision Evergreen made.; 9/16/17, 8:34 PM
Jonas said...: Their salaries were about $70k each, found here: http://fiscal.wa.gov/Salaries.aspx; 9/16/17, 8:54 PM
Michael said...: He should have owned the goddamned place. He settled for chump change because at heart he is a prog pussy and felt guilty of bad think. Probably used a contingent fee lawyer.; 9/16/17, 8:56 PM
Expat(ish) said...: @rocean - at his age he would have expected another 10-15 years of easy 9 months/year employment, cadillac health care, and a juicy state retirement. 2 years salary seems ... very low.

Personally, I'd have just phoned it in for the next decade *and* been so over the top in support of crazy they'd have been emarassed to have been seen with me in public.

Well, no, actually, but I'd like to think I could do that.

_XC; 9/16/17, 9:00 PM
Ken B said...: Bad news. The school needs to be sued, defunded, mocked, scorned, avoided, and closed. The *other* faculty and administrators all (save the one who spoke up for BW) need to lose their jobs.; 9/16/17, 9:06 PM
Original Mike said...: That's not much, considering that he may be unemployable. I'm surprised.; 9/16/17, 9:13 PM
tcrosse said...: I know this is silly, but when I read about Evergreen, all I can think of is one of those little cardboard pine trees you hang from the rear-view mirror.; 9/16/17, 9:54 PM
Alex said...: It's going to be tough for them finding jobs at other colleges. Evergreen kind of taints you for life.; 9/16/17, 10:05 PM
Big Mike said...: @tcrosse, and when that silly little cardboard pine tree obscures your view of that deer in the road, you can be the sweetest-smelling corpse in the funeral home.; 9/16/17, 10:15 PM
traditionalguy said...: Nice going away tip. Retirement is the big award. It is a massive rigged bribe that has become the real reason colleges exist today.; 9/16/17, 10:16 PM
mockturtle said...: I agree with those who say he should have held out for more. This isn't going to hurt them much and they need to be hurt [actually, they need to be closed down]. Five-hundred thou is hardly punitive.; 9/16/17, 10:33 PM
Lucien said...: I think $70k a piece sounds about right for biology professors at a community college. In which case $500k pre-tax probably paid off their mortgage with a bit of cash left over. Given their field is biology rather than one of the liberal arts "studies" they probably have a reasonable chance of finding employment elsewhere. Even if this is effectively their retirement money it's a good outcome, and I don't blame them for wanting to take the money and call it quits.; 9/16/17, 11:06 PM
walter said...: "Bret Weinstein is a biology professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., who supported Bernie Sanders, admiringly retweets Glenn Greenwald and was an outspoken supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement."
Sounds like he's ok with others getting their ox Gored.; 9/16/17, 11:14 PM
eddie willers said...: I'm shocked that so many here think that $500,000 is not a lot of money.; 9/17/17, 12:11 AM
Anonymous said...: So basically the college got out of a tenured employee they didn't want around for about 7 years worth of salary. That's not painful enough to prevent other student mobs/administrators from trying the same tack with professors who don't profess the dogma of the moment. Harassment until resignation I've seen in action in the private sector, it wouldn't operate much different in the public one.; 9/17/17, 12:32 AM
Ralph L said...: How much of the money will go to lawyers and taxes?; 9/17/17, 1:51 AM
DrMaturin said...: @Ralph

According to the article the Weinsteins get 450K and the lawyers get 50K for a total payout from the school of 500K. No idea about taxes, though.; 9/17/17, 4:59 AM
Big Mike said...: How much of the money will go to lawyers and taxes?

The lawyers get $50,000. Federal income tax on $450,000 is $131,500. I don't know whether they will owe Social Security and Medicare taxes on a legal settlement. Fortunately for them Washington State has no state income tax, preferring a regressive sales tax of 6.5% (but locality piggyback taxes generally push the as-paid sales tax to at least 8%).; 9/17/17, 5:00 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't legal settlements tax free, like insurance proceeds. Don't they just compensate for an offsetting loss? $500k gain plus $500k loss equals zero?; 9/17/17, 7:14 AM
mezzrow said...: I'm shocked that so many here think that $500,000 is not a lot of money.

There are several lessons there, some of which are beyond my understanding. I agree that it isn't a lot of money, btw. Not for the offense, considering the pockets of the state are the source of the funds and the unyielding position of the Evergreen administration shows no signing of leaning anything at all from this. They haven't received nearly enough punishment yet.

If I were a conservative school (hey, there may about a dozen or so), I'd make them an offer soonest. These are the kinds of principled progressives that would inform them and shame liberal academia for their willful blindness to a balanced view of mankind.

If you haven't seen the Jordan Peterson/Bret Weinstein three hour extravaganza on Joe Rogan, just go find it.; 9/17/17, 7:29 AM
Anonymous said...: Between the two of them, they each get 3 years salary. What is going to hurt is losing their Washington State retirement.

Good luck to both though. I suspect finding new posts will be very hard; 9/17/17, 7:39 AM
sykes.1 said...: Prof. Weinstein thought that because his is a liberal Jew he would not be clumped together with "racist" Whites. But to people of color all Jews are White, and racist. There is no triangulation for Jews.

The future of the Democratic Party is Perez and Ellison, Hispanic and Black (Muslim even). There is no place for Whites or Jews in that future other than as silenced, powerless stooges. Pelosi, Schumer, Sanders, Feinstein et al are the very last of their breed. Remember how the NAACP expelled Jews from all leadership positions? Even after their great service in the Civil Rights Movement. Some even died in that service.

The problem for the Progressive White is, Where is my political home? They obviously can't be Republicans, in part because that party will evolve into a White Nationalist party, at least tacitly, assuming it isn't already. Can there be a party for Progressive Whites only? How would such a party relate to the future Democratic Party? Would that Democratic Party have any use for the Progressive White Party? Would anyone?; 9/17/17, 7:59 AM
sykes.1 said...: @ DRILL SGT:

The Weinsteins will undoubtedly keep whatever pension they have already earned, including seniority. Moreover, if they get jobs in another public university, often even outside Washington, say Ohio, for example, they can transfer their whole pensions and seniority to another school.; 9/17/17, 8:03 AM
Ralph L said...: The college will pay them a total of $450,000 and contribute an additional $50,000 toward their attorney fees,”
That does not mean the attorney got ONLY $50k.; 9/17/17, 8:15 AM
AllenS said...: If you receive a settlement for personal physical injuries or physical sickness and did not take an itemized deduction for medical expenses related to the injury or sickness in prior years, the full amount is non-taxable. Do not include the settlement proceeds in your income.

Publication 4345 - Internal Revenue Service

AllenS, Esq.; 9/17/17, 8:28 AM
mockturtle said...: I'm shocked that so many here think that $500,000 is not a lot of money.

For an individual it is a tidy sum, although hardly a fortune. For a university, it is chicken feed.; 9/17/17, 8:33 AM
Michael said...: I'm shocked that so many here think that $500,000 is not a lot of money.

So you would have settled for a whole lot less. I am sure that the students at Evergreen are taught to keep their economic aspirations low. Getting them used to economic justice. I am sure the professor thinks he robbed some poor kid of his "fair share" when he took the settlement.; 9/17/17, 8:50 AM
n.n said...: A half million dollars to tolerate the progress of diversity is a minimal bribe. I wonder how much other people, including officers of diversity, receive to progress normalization of prejudice including racism, sexism, and other causes that deny individual dignity (i.e. judge people by the "color of their skin"). As much Planned Parenthood et al to operate abortion chambers and Menegele clinics that debase human life anywhere and everywhere?; 9/17/17, 9:00 AM
mockturtle said...: I am sure the professor thinks he robbed some poor kid of his "fair share" when he took the settlement.

And I didn't know any 'poor kids' who went to Evergreen.; 9/17/17, 9:09 AM
Virgil Hilts said...: I read that tweet / responses last night. When you put out a tweet like this that gets fewer than 300 likes while the responses ridiculing you and calling you pathetic are getting thousands of likes, you just might want to take a step back and maybe argue (ala Weiner) that your twitter account has been hacked.; 9/17/17, 9:20 AM
Virgil Hilts said...: Whoops - that last comment goes with another thread. Not sure how I did that.; 9/17/17, 9:21 AM
Jupiter said...: It does seem that they had a fairly air-tight case about a racially hostile workplace, and could probably have gotten more. But I can understand being sick and tired of the whole thing. Plus, this Weinstein is no White Nationalist. He's a Progressive, and probably a bit of a Commie. He doesn't disapprove of this sort of abuse being handed out to people like me. He just thought they were supposed to eat him last.; 9/17/17, 11:44 AM
I Callahan said...: Sounds like he decided to grab a quick settlement and then put it all behind him. Good decision.

Good decision for him. Bad for the rest of the country. The fascists have won.; 9/17/17, 2:19 PM
Jim at said...: "The real victims are the Washington State tax payers"

Tell me about it.
I live five minutes from the cesspool that is TESC.

It should've been shut down years ago. Like, when students stormed the Washington state House of Representatives during the first Gulf War in 1991. You know, when they hung an Iraqi flag on the rostrum and then proceeded to shit on legislators' desks?

Good times.

It's a fine institution. Literally.; 9/17/17, 2:33 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Why is everyone here presuming settlement awards are taxed? My info says they're not.

If you're going to paranoid about the government and taxes, at least get straight how the whole process works. FFS. Did any of you knee-jerkers even bother to look that part up?; 9/17/17, 3:06 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: I'm shocked that so many here think that $500,000 is not a lot of money.

It depends how much of the rest of their lives they have to live off of it.; 9/17/17, 3:10 PM
Birkel said...: After taxes, $300k gets a person squared away with the bill collectors. No house payments and no loans outstanding if you are living a disciplined financial life. I'd cash the check and move to a place more accommodating to diversity of viewpoints.; 9/17/17, 6:10 PM
Birkel said...: The same is true of $450k if the settlement is structured in such a way as to avoid taxes.

If they bought out his tenure contract rights, it was a sale.; 9/17/17, 6:12 PM
MadisonMan said...: Evergreen sounds like a horrible place to work. What thinking person would want to attend school there?; 9/18/17, 7:12 AM
mockturtle said...: What thinking person would want to attend school there?

A onetime friend was a professor there when it was first opened. The students, some of whom I knew well, were largely hippie types---misguided but genuinely nice people from UMC families. I have no idea what it was like later on.; 9/18/17, 12:04 PM
Known Unknown said...: What thinking person would want to attend school there?

You answered your own question.; 9/18/17, 12:41 PM