The University of Washington has paid computer science professor Stuart Reges $600,000 (roughly £470,000) to settle a free speech lawsuit after he was disciplined for parodying the university's Native American land acknowledgment in his course syllabus. Reges, a non-tenured teaching professor, had written a mock version questioning tribal ownership claims, prompting the university to remove the statement, set up a rival class so students could avoid him, and launch a lengthy harassment investigation. The case was taken up by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which argued the university had violated his First Amendment rights.

Reges made the parody in January 2022, after the university had encouraged, but not required, staff to include land acknowledgments in their syllabi. The dispute reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled 2-1 in his favour last December, leading to the settlement announced this week; under its terms, the university cannot take further action against him over the incident. The University of Washington denied any wrongdoing, saying it settled mainly to avoid further legal costs following the appeals court ruling, while FIRE described the case as a defence of viewpoint-neutral free speech principles applicable regardless of political stance.