Ashland University: Professor Denied Tenure Because of Objectivist Scholarship

Case Materials

• "FIRE Letter to Ashland University President Frederick Finks, March 5, 2007," March 5, 2007
• "Letter from Ashland University Provost Robert Suggs to John Lewis, February 8, 2007," February 8, 2007
• "John Lewis' Nontenure Faculty Contract, 2006-2007," April 21, 2006
• "Thank-you Letter from Ashland President G. William Benz to Anthem Foundation President John McCaskey, January 24, 2002," January 24, 2002

Blog Entries

• "Ashland University: No Objectivists Need Apply," Tara Sweeney, July 12, 2007: After denying tenure to a history professor because he engaged in Objectivist scholarship, Ohio’s Ashland University has struck a deal with John Lewis, granting him tenure but only if he resigns from the university. FIRE wrote to Ashland in March advocating for Lewis’ tenure bid, citing the fact that the university had accepted $100,000 from a private foundation to fund Lewis’ Objectivist research. FIRE also argued that Ashland was contractually obligated to uphold professors’ full academic freedom and free speech rights. Lewis will be on leave until May 2008, when he will resign from Ashland.