University of Washington professor sues school, alleging free-speech violation

A University of Washington professor is suing the school, arguing that it violated his free speech after he challenged the university's request that he include a Native American "land acknowledgment" on his syllabus.

Stuart Reges, a computer science and engineering teaching professor, faced disciplinary action from the university after the school encouraged professors to include a statement on their syllabi acknowledging Native American ownership of university land in September 2020, termed the "University’s ‘Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Statement.’"

"What makes situations such as this both newsworthy and troubling is that the rule prohibiting state...