Judge Dismisses Wisconsin Professor’s Widely Watched Lawsuit Over Firing

A state-court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a controversial 2001 decision by the University of Wisconsin system to fire a tenured professor at its Superior campus over the objections of the faculty panel that had investigated misconduct charges against him.

According to the Associated Press, Judge Robert Eaton of the Douglas County Circuit Court ruled this month that the campus’s chancellor, Julius E. Erlenbach, had not done anything improper in calling for the firing of John B. Marder, an associate professor of mass communications, in a private meeting with the system’s Board of Regents. The judge held that Chancellor Erlenbach had not made any new accusations to the regents that Mr. Marder needed an opportunity to defend himself against, and had done nothing wrong in arguing that the continued employment of Mr. Marder would present a public-relations problem.

Many faculty advocates had argued that the system’s handling of Mr. Marder’s case violated his due-process and tenure protections. Mr. Marder’s lawyer has said he will appeal Judge Eaton’s ruling.