Professors and staff in higher education are entitled to fair treatment under the law, and if you are a faculty member who believes your rights have been violated, consider speaking with the experienced higher education lawyers at Allen Harris today. Our higher education attorneys protect faculty rights. Contact our firm to learn more about how we can assist you.
Faculty Rights Lawyers In Higher Education | Protecting Higher Education Faculty
Without dedicated faculty members, a college is nothing. Unfortunately, college professors are more than ever before subjected to the authority of college administrators, many of whom do not teach, conduct research, or serve any other function traditionally associated with university higher education.
Often this means faculty face a wide array of discriminatory and unfair actions from their employers, including full frontal assaults on academic freedom itself. If you find yourself in this situation, then you need a strong legal advocate who will fight for your rights through every step of the process. Remember, there are various federal laws on your side, and at state institutions, you are also protected by the United States and state constitutions. No matter how complex your situation may seem, the law prohibits discrimination and unfair treatment of workers on the basis of sex, race, national origin, and religion. For example, employees are protected under Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employees are also protected under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Our firm concentrates on these laws as well as on the constitutional rights of faculty and staff. And we are ready to help you in any way we can.
Our Legal Services
Allen Harris provides a wide array of legal services to faculty and higher education staff members in an effort to ensure their rights are protected at all times. Some of the various cases that our firm handles are as follows:
- Title IX: As you may know, students’ rights are protected under Title IX. Fortunately, professors and other faculty members of federally-funded colleges are also protected under Title IX. This means that if you are a faculty member of a federally-funded college and you believe that you are a victim of discrimination based on your race, gender, or any other protected category, there is a very good chance that you will have legal grounds to file a claim, and our experienced attorneys are here to help you in any way we can.
- Employment Discrimination: Workplace discrimination comes in various forms, though it is never acceptable. Essentially, if your employer discriminates against you because of your race, age, color, gender, or otherwise, you should understand that federal and state law protect you. There is a very good chance that you will have a valid claim. Workplace discrimination can come in the form of demotions, layoffs, termination, or even neglecting to promote certain employees due to a protected status, such as their race.
- Wrongful Termination: Unfortunately, people of all professions are still at risk of wrongful termination. That being said, wrongful termination can be difficult to prove. However, if you believe that you were wrongfully fired from your job, you may have a claim against your employer. You should request that your employer put his or her reasoning for terminating your position in writing, and if the reason seems insufficient, misrepresents your termination, or simply does not make sense, consider hiring a knowledgeable higher education faculty rights lawyer here at Allen Harris. Our firm has handled countless wrongful termination cases in the past, and we are here to do the same for you.
- Tenure Disputes: As you may know, for many college professors, becoming tenured has several benefits. Unfortunately, there are times where professors are wrongfully denied tenure. These cases are also sometimes difficult to prove, and universities always claim they have the discretion to decide whether or not faculty attain tenure. This is why you need an attorney who can effectively handle your tenure dispute. Oftentimes, the best way to prove that you’ve been wrongfully denied tenure is by obtaining records of professors who have been tenured before and showing that you meet all of the same qualifications they’ve met.
- Faculty Free Speech And Academic Freedom: If you are a college professor, then you most likely have seen, first-hand, how free speech has been attacked and eroded on the contemporary university campus. The stifling of free speech has made matters far more difficult for professors who introduce their students to new ideas, critical thinking, and challenging points of view. Formerly, this was considered the primary purpose of a college professor to begin with. Increasingly, however, college and university administrators try to crack down on anyone who makes students or others in the University community feel “uncomfortable.” If you are someone who has recently come under fire for simply exercising your First Amendment rights, you should understand that our firm staunchly supports the First Amendment and is ready to defend you through every step of the process ahead. Even if you are a faculty member of a private university, private institutions usually promote free speech through their policies, handbooks, and catalogs, which can usually be enforced through contract rights even if constitutional rights do not apply.
Contact Our Higher Education Faculty Rights Lawyers
For a college campus to accomplish its core mission of education, its faculty must be protected. Unfortunately, faculty members still face a wide array of employment issues, and if you are a college professor or faculty member who is currently in need of a competent attorney, you’ve come to the right place. Contact Allen Harris today to tell us your story, and we will begin mounting the best possible strategy on your behalf.
