Did the University of Iowa Law School fail to hire Teresa Wagner because she is too conservative? That's the issue presented by Wagner v Jones. Among the assertions the 8th circuit noted in reversing the district court decision granting summary judgment to the defendant, is this:
Wagner presented evidence that only one out of 50 faculty members at the University is a registered Republican. She, on the other hand, is a registered Republican and a social conservative who has worked for socially conservative organizations.
Prior to her interview, Wagner was warned by Associate Dean Carlson to conceal the fact that she had received a similar tenure-track job offer from Ave Maria School of Law, which was perceived to be a conservative school. Former Associate Dean Andersen told Dean Jones prior to Wagner’s interview that Wagner was concerned that her conservative political views might be held against her during the hiring process.
HT: Constitutional Law Prof Blog
See also our May 2010 post, "Intellectual Diversity in U.S. Law Schools: Maybe Not."
