Dismissed faculty member now suing Hamline University for discrimination, defamation

Dr. Erika López Prater, former faculty member, is now suing Hamline University in Minnesota for discrimination and defamation following her dismissal as an adjunct professor. 

Last year, Prater showed her global Art History Class a painting of Muhammad, sparking controversy in the academic community over academic freedom and the rights of Muslim students. 

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The lawsuit also claims “significant emotional distress” and a loss of income for Dr. Prater due to the actions and statements of Hamline University. 

Dr. Prater alleges that both “her personal and professional reputation, along with her future employment prospects, have been irreparably harmed due to her mistreatment by Hamline.”

The Board of Trustees at Hamline University along with university president Fayneese Miller recently announced that “communications, articles and opinion pieces” of late have led them to “review and re-examine our actions.”

Hamline, through its administration, is now backtracking on its previous characterization of Dr. Prater’s actions as “Islamophobic.”

”Like all organizations, sometimes we misstep,” the statement reads.

Continuing, the board and president stated that they “strongly support academic freedom for all members of the Hamline community,” and that they “believe that academic freedom and support for students can and should co-exist.”

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The lawsuit was served to Hamline University earlier this month and will be filed soon in court, according to Dr. Prater’s attorneys. 

Campus Reform reached out to all relevant parties for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.