A California community college district and a history professor have reached a settlement ending a three-year legal dispute over state regulations mandating faculty to incorporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) and anti-racist principles into their teaching and professional conduct. The case involved Bakersfield College professor Daymon Johnson, who challenged the rules on First Amendment grounds.

Johnson, represented by the Institute for Free Speech, filed a federal lawsuit in July 2023 against nearly a dozen individuals affiliated with the college, the district, and the state community college system. The lawsuit argued that school officials had investigated Johnson for expressing dissenting views and contended that the First Amendment protects his right to free speech, prohibiting the state from compelling faculty to adopt or promote any specific ideological framework.

Although the initial lawsuit was dismissed, it was later reinstated on appeal. A federal court issued a preliminary injunction that prevented the college from investigating or disciplining Johnson under the contested DEIA-focused regulations. The recent settlement extends this injunction for five years and stipulates that the case will be permanently dismissed at the end of that period. Additionally, the agreement includes a payment of $150,000 to cover Johnson’s attorney fees.

Johnson expressed relief at being able to concentrate on teaching history and exercising free expression without the obligation to endorse DEI principles. The Institute for Free Speech highlighted that the settlement underscores the importance of professors’ rights to free speech and their ability to decline adherence to government-mandated ideological standards.

Bakersfield College and its district did not provide comment on the settlement.