A lawsuit filed against Case Western Reserve University Law School by a law professor has been settled, according to a release from the Chandra Law Firm and The Plain Dealer.
An announcement was posted online by the law firm, which represented Raymond Ku in the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Ku claims he was retaliated against when he reported former Law School Dean Lawrence Mitchell possibly sexually harassed women.
Ku will become the new director of the law school’s Center for Cyberspace Law & Policy.
The joint statement, which quoted mediator Michael N. Ungar, said, “In my opinion, Professor Ku acted in the best interests of students, staff, and faculty. Likewise, in my opinion, the University has also acted in the best interests of the law school and all members of the school community.”
Ungar continued: “This has been a hard case, but everyone involved focused on finding a solution that would further the success and momentum of the law school. While the university and Professor Ku had significant differences regarding this matter, their sincere desire to act in the school’s best interests prevailed. I commend them all for their diligence, integrity, and willingness to look beyond individual disagreements and embrace collaboration toward a common goal. As is typical in these types of situations, the details of the resolution are confidential.”
The lawsuit filed by Ku named Mitchell and the school as defendants. Ku said he talked to the school’s provost, vice president for diversity and faculty diversity officer about Mitchell’s actions.
The school said that no retaliation occurred and the lawsuit had inaccuracies in it. Mitchell was hired in 2011, but since stepped down from the post after being placed on administrative leave in November.
Ku has been a tenured professor at the law school since 2003. Mitchell will remain with the law school as a faculty member, but will be on sabbatical this year.