University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax filed a lawsuit against the institution on Thursday, accusing it of racial discrimination. The lawsuit, submitted in federal court in Philadelphia, claims that Penn disciplines white faculty more harshly under its free speech policy while overlooking similar conduct by minority faculty members.
Claims of Unequal Treatment and Tenure Violation
Wax alleges that the university violated her tenure rights when it suspended her from teaching for one year with half pay in October. This suspension followed an investigation into public statements she made about minority groups, which many criticized as racist. Wax’s lawsuit contends that white faculty members are disproportionately disciplined for controversial speech compared to their minority counterparts.
“White speakers face far more disciplinary actions for ‘harmful’ speech, whereas minority speakers rarely encounter similar consequences,” the lawsuit states.
Long-Running Disputes with Penn
A scholar specializing in social welfare law and policy, Wax has been a faculty member at Penn’s law school since 2001. Her relationship with the university has been fraught with controversy, starting in 2017 when she co-authored an opinion piece asserting the superiority of Anglo-Protestant cultural norms.
In 2018, after stating on a podcast that she had never seen a Black law student graduate in the top quarter of the class, the law school banned her from teaching mandatory first-year courses. Wax’s remarks have repeatedly sparked calls from students and faculty for her dismissal.
Controversial Statements and Allegations of Mishandled Investigation
In 2022, Wax further ignited controversy with a blog post suggesting that the U.S. would benefit from fewer Asian immigrants, citing their political preferences. This led former Penn law dean Ted Ruger to request a “major sanction” against her. Wax’s lawsuit argues that Penn mishandled the investigation into her statements and points to other faculty members who engaged in controversial conduct without facing similar disciplinary measures.
The university has not commented on the lawsuit, and Wax’s attorneys have yet to respond to requests for comment. Wax denies being racist and describes herself as a “casualty in the culture wars,” defending her right to hold and express unpopular opinions.
