TRAVELERS REST, S.C. (WSPA) – A professor is suing Furman University following his suspension for participating in the infamous 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Attorneys for Professor Christopher Healy filed the lawsuit Thursday alleging that his October suspension from Furman was a breach of his employment contract.
Healy was suspended following claims from a social media group working to identify people who attended the rally.
The university’s president posted a message online stating that a faculty member had participated in the rally, which drew members of the KKK and neo-Nazi groups.
One woman was killed when violence erupted between members of those groups and counter-protesters.
In a statement released in October, Furman University President Elizabeth Davis said she and others “immediately began investigating” claims that the professor attended that rally.
Davis said the professor will not teach or be on campus “as we process these difficult circumstances and determine next steps.”
The university did not identify the professor at that time.
In a statement, attorneys for Healy said he traveled to Virginia to “peacefully demonstrate opposition to the removal of the statue of General Robert E. Lee.”
The statement went on to state that “the actions Furman University has thus far taken against Professor Healy are in violation of contract and applicable state law, and are quite simply inexcusable.”
Healy has been employed at Furman University since 1999 in their computer science department.
The lawsuit also asked for a temporary injunction to end the suspension and allow Healy to return to work.
7NEWS reached out to Furman University on Friday, asking for a statement following this filed complaint. University staff told 7NEWS, they stand by President Davis’s statement on Sept. 30 and have nothing new to share at this time.
A statement on behalf of Healy also states he hasn’t heard from the University about its investigation, other than the investigation is expected to continue into 2023. That statement also stated the University has already notified Dr. Healy, that his class for next semester has been reassigned to another instructor.
Read the full lawsuit here.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel
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