DETROIT, Mich. — A Michigan professor who was suspended in January for making a profanity-filled video to welcome students settled his legal dispute with a university by accepting $95,000 and agreeing to a three-year gag order.
As part of the deal, Barry Mehler retired from Ferris State University rather than face possible termination after a judge refused to reinstate him last spring, according to a March document released to The Associated Press under a public records request.
Barry Mehler also agreed to a three-year gag order and retirement. If he criticizes Ferris State University, he could be forced to pay $60,000.
Mehler, who taught history at Ferris State for decades, made headlines in January when the school placed him on paid leave in response to a provocative 14-minute video, which got more than 500,000 views on YouTube.
He used profanities and made a sexual reference as he rambled on about his attendance policy, grades, plagiarism and COVID-19.
Mehler says he was just trying to get students' “juices flowing.”
