A California community college district that has garnered significant media attention after losing a big lawsuit. The district has recently reached an agreement to pay $2.4 million to conservative professor, Matthew Garrett, marking the closure of a series of long-standing legal disputes between them.

Garrett, who held tenure as a history professor at Bakersfield College, responded to the settlement with the statement, “After five years of administrative misconduct, a decisive courtroom display exonerated me of all allegations and revealed that the Kern Community College District had engaged in flagrant retaliation for my questioning of partisan policies and wasteful expenditures.”

The contention started when Garrett initiated a federal lawsuit against the Kern Community College District in 2021. He charged the college with retaliation against him and a colleague for voicing concerns regarding the utilization of grant money. They queried whether it was improperly allocated to social justice initiatives on campus.

Garrett also alleged that he and other faculty members part of a free speech coalition on campus were targeted with false allegations after raising questions during a campus diversity meeting in 2022.

The conflict heightened in April 2023 when the district Board of Trustees decided to dismiss Garrett, accusing him of “immoral and unprofessional conduct,” allegations he strongly refuted.

Rejecting the dismissal, Garrett challenged his suspension in court. This resulted in a settlement agreed upon last month, formulated to resolve all disputes and claims linked to Garrett’s employment. The district conceded to pay Garrett a significant amount of $2.4 million. This includes recompense for “alleged general and emotional distress damages” and legal fees, along with a one-time payment exceeding $154,520 for back wages and medical benefits.

Under the settlement terms, Garrett agreed to resign, and the district agreed to expunge its accusations of unprofessional conduct from his record. They also decided to seal documents concerning any punitive action taken against him.

Subsequently, the district released a statement endorsing the settlement, articulating, “The Kern Community College District (KCCD) has settled all issues with Matthew Garrett… KCCD believes the settlement is in the best interest of the District and permits us to focus on the future and persist in providing quality higher education for the students of Kern County, devoid of any further legal distractions.”

Garrett hailed the settlement as a triumph, extending appreciation to those who stood by him throughout the ordeal and encouraging his peers nationwide to maintain their resolve.