Shawnee State University will pay $400K to end legal battle over preferred pronoun mandate

The College Fix reports:

University will pay out $400K in damages to end three-year legal battle

Professor Nicholas Meriwether at Shawnee State University cannot be forced to use someone’s preferred pronouns in violation of his Christian faith, following a settlement.

The public Ohio university must pay out $400,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to settle the case with its English and humanities professor. The case began three years ago, with Meriwether (pictured) most recently winning in court last March.

The issue began when Shawnee State “punished Meriwether because he declined a male student’s demand to be referred to as a woman, with feminine titles and pronouns,” Alliance Defending Freedom previously wrote. The professor had offered to call students by any name they chose as a compromise.

Meriwether’s attorneys at ADF announced the settlement on Thursday.

“As part of the settlement, the university has agreed that Meriwether has the right to choose when to use, or avoid using, titles or pronouns when referring to or addressing students,” the news release stated. “Significantly, the university agreed Meriwether will never be mandated to use pronouns, including if a student requests pronouns that conflict with his or her biological sex.”

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