A Furman University professor who administrators have been investigating for his involvement in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville has been fired, according to WSPA, a CBS affiliate in South Carolina. The computer science professor, Christopher Healy, is now suing the university for wrongful termination.
The university began investigating Healy in 2022, when photos of him attending the white supremacist march emerged online.
According to his lawsuit, Healy was first placed on paid suspension and later informed of Furman’s intention to terminate his employment, on the grounds that his alleged white nationalist beliefs impacted his ability to evaluate students fairly.
The filing said that a committee, which reviewed 3,000 pages of evidence, suggested the university not fire Healy, but the institution ignore the guidance. The lawsuit argues that the university did not present evidence that Healy was involved or in communication with any white nationalist organization. It also claims the investigation into his grading practices was “faulty.”
Furman declined to comment on personnel matters to WSPA.
