We are pleased to share that Joan R.M. Bullock, the former dean of Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, has reached a settlement with the university to have her tenure reinstated. This significant development comes exactly one year after her termination and the removal of her tenure.
Bullock was hired as the first female dean of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2019. In 2022, Bullock was abruptly terminated. In response, Bullock filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleging that the university violated her constitutional rights as a tenured faculty member by firing her without cause and denying her a fair hearing. She sought a court order to reinstate her as a tenured faculty member.
According to court documents, a settlement has been reached between the parties, and on June 15, 2023 Texas Southern University's Board of Regents approved the measure to reinstate Bullock's tenure, citing a "clerical error" during her hiring.
Bullock's complaint sought various remedies, including reinstatement to her former position as a tenured faculty member, along with damages for lost compensation, benefits, emotional distress, and harm to her reputation.
For more information about Todd Slobin, the attorney representing Joan R.M. Bullock, please visit his profile on our website: Todd Slobin's Profile