Current:Home > FinanceMinnesota school settles with professor who was fired for showing image of the Prophet Muhammad-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Minnesota school settles with professor who was fired for showing image of the Prophet Muhammad
View Date:2024-12-23 18:54:18
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former adjunct professor on Monday settled a federal religious discrimination lawsuit against a private Minnesota school after she was pushed out for showing a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in class.
Details of the settlement between Hamline University and Erika López Prater are unknown. Online court records show the terms of the agreement are sealed.
David Redden, a lawyer for López Prater, on Tuesday declined to comment “other than to say that the matter was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties.”
The university did not immediately return a phone call and email from The Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday.
López Prater had sued Hamline University in 2023 following her dismissal the year before. Her team of attorneys had argued that the school would have treated her differently if she were Muslim.
The controversy began when López Prater showed a 14th-century painting depicting the Prophet Muhammad to her students as part of a lesson on Islamic art in a global art course.
She had warned them beforehand in the class syllabus and given them an opportunity to opt out. She also reportedly gave a trigger warning before the lesson in which the image was shown.
A student who attended the class — Aram Wedatalla, then-president of Hamline’s Muslim Student Association — has said she heard the professor give a “trigger warning,” wondered what it was for “and then I looked and it was the prophet,” the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Wedatalla complained to the university, saying the warning didn’t describe the image that would be shown. In Islam, portraying the Prophet Muhammad has long been taboo for many.
The university declined to renew López Prater’s contract, and then-president Fayneese Miller described López Prater as “Islamophobic” for showing the image.
Miller later conceded that she should not have used that term and that she mishandled the episode, which sparked a debate over balancing academic freedom with respect for religion.
She announced her retirement months after the school’s faculty overwhelmingly called for her resignation, saying her response to the controversy was a violation of academic freedom.
veryGood! (99675)
Related
- He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
- Russia claims it repelled another drone attack by Ukraine on Moscow
- Britney Spears Calls Out Trainer For Saying She Needs Her “Younger Body Back”
- Vietnam banned the Barbie movie — and this map is why
- Atlanta man dies in shootout after police chase that also kills police dog
- Stranger Things Is Expanding With a New Animated Series on Netflix: Get the Details
- Here's what world leaders agreed to — and what they didn't — at the U.N. climate summit
- South Africa gas leak near Johannesburg leaves 16 dead, including 3 children
- AIT Community Introduce
- Prince George and Dad Prince William Twin Together at Soccer Match
Ranking
- Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia. So, who's left out?
- Nations are making new pledges to cut climate pollution. They aren't enough
- Woman and child die after falling from ferry in Baltic Sea; murder inquiry launched
- Florida cities ask: Are there too many palms?
- Avril Lavigne’s Ex Mod Sun Is Dating Love Is Blind Star Brittany Wisniewski, Debuts Romance With a Kiss
- Pence says Trump administration would have kept U.S. troops in Afghanistan despite withdrawal deal with Taliban
- Baby Foot Is the 1 Thing You Need To Get Your Feet Sandal-Ready for Spring and It’s on Sale Right Now
- The U.N. says climate impacts are getting worse faster than the world is adapting
Recommendation
-
Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
-
You'll Flip Over Cheer's Navarro College Winning the 2023 National Championships
-
Bow Down to Zendaya and Tom Holland’s Intimate Palace Date
-
Here's what world leaders agreed to — and what they didn't — at the U.N. climate summit
-
College Football Playoff snubs: Georgia among teams with beef after second rankings
-
Shop the 10 Best-Selling, Top-Rated Amazon Sunglasses for $20 & Under
-
Glasgow climate pledges are 'lip service' without far more aggressive plans
-
Bodies of Lotus Band Member Chuck Morris and His 20-Year-Old Son Recovered 3 Weeks After Disappearance