(Josh Shettler/CU Independent illustration)
John Eastman, a visiting professor from Chapman University, said that he plans to sue the University of Colorado for 1.8 million dollars. Eastman spoke hours before the Capitol insurrection in Washington D.C. and was stripped of many of his duties by University leadership.
Eastman promoted false conspiracy theories at the rally that the 2020 election had been rigged against former President Donald Trump.
Eastman, who is a part of the Benson Center for Western Civilization, retired from his position at Chapman after students and staff expressed their outrage over his remarks. However, even though CU Boulder’s leadership condemned his actions, they did not terminate their relationship with him.
“I will not violate the law by removing a visiting professor from a position that he will occupy at most for only a few more months, as his contract will expire in May,” said Chancellor DiStefano in a statement back in January.
In a statement covered by the Daily Camera, Eastman said that he would “address the University’s cancellation of his classes and suspension of his other duties, the University’s violation of his constitutional rights to freedom of speech and due process, the defamatory statements made about him by several University officials.”
In a statement he read on the CU Bouler campus, Eastman cited violations of his first amendment rights and his employment contract as the basis for the lawsuit.
This is a developing story and will be updated as necessary.
Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editor Henry Larson at Henry.Larson@colorado.edu.
