Fired professor, Oberlin College settle lawsuit

OBERLIN — A federal lawsuit over the firing of an Oberlin College professor who posted what the college said were anti-Semitic statements on her personal social media in 2016 has been settled. Joilynn "Joy" Karega-Mason was an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition from December 2013 until November 2016, when she was fired for what the college's board of trustees said was failing "to meet the academic standards that Oberlin requires of its faculty and failing to demonstrate intellectual honesty." She was placed on paid administrative leave in August 2016 after posting on her personal social media accounts claims that Jews were responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The college initially defended her posts as freedom of speech. Karega-Mason sued Oberlin College, former college President Marvin Krislov, former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Tim Elgren and former Board of Trustees Chairman Clyde McGregor in U.S. District Court in Cleveland in November 2018. She demanded $885,000 from Oberlin College, along with punitive damages, interest and attorney fees. An entry on the federal court docket posted Friday states the case has been settled. It is unknown how much she received, as terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Oberlin College spokesman Scott Wargo said the college had no comment on the settlement. A message seeking comment was left for attorney Gary Benjamin, who represented Karega-Mason. Karega-Mason cited false charges of professional misconduct, accused the college of soliciting student complaints against her, alleged the college manipulated campus organizations to turn against her, tried to prevent African-Americans from holding positions of authority, ignored acts of misconduct among Caucasian faculty and staff members and tolerated their racist behavior, among other issues. In her lawsuit, she said Elgren "was permitted by defendants Oberlin and Krislov to continue to (engage) in an unrelenting and pervasive conspiracy to terminate the employment of Plaintiff by the college." Krislov, who is Jewish, said in March 2016 that Karega-Mason's allegations caused pain "for many people." "As someone who has studied history, I cannot comprehend how any person could or would question its existence, its horrors and the evil which caused it. I feel the same way about anti-Semitic conspiracy theories," he wrote. The Jewish Federation of Cleveland and McGregor also spoke out against Karega-Mason's claims, with McGregor calling them "anti-Semitic and abhorrent" in an official statement from the board. "We deplore Antisemitism and all other forms of bigotry. They have no place at Oberlin," McGregor said in March 2016. "In consultation with President Marvin Krislov, the board has asked the administration and faculty to challenge the assertion that there is any justification for these repugnant postings and to report back to the board." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.