Description: University of Louisville officials demoted, harassed, and effectively fired a distinguished professor who successfully led the university’s child psychiatry program after he expressed his views on treatment approaches for youth experiencing gender dysphoria. Dr. Allan M. Josephson’s remarks in a panel discussion angered a few of his colleagues, who then learned he had served as an expert witness addressing similar issues. They then demanded that the university take disciplinary action, and university officials responded by demoting him weeks later to the role of a junior faculty member. The university later announced that it would not renew his contract, a highly unusual decision that meant he was effectively fired.
Univ. of Louisville pays almost $1.6M to settle case with professor
ADF attorneys represent Dr. Allan Josephson, whom university demoted, harassed, fired for speaking on harms of ‘gender transitions’ for kids
Monday, Apr 21, 2025
LOUIVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville officials have agreed to pay almost $1.6 million in damages and attorneys’ fees to settle the lawsuit Josephson v. Ganzel brought by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing a respected psychiatrist whom the university demoted, harassed, and ultimately fired for speaking out on the harms of “transitioning” children.
In September of last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled that Josephson’s case should proceed to trial, declaring public university officials can be held personally accountable for censoring professors or retaliating against them as the University of Louisville did in Josephson’s case.
“After several years, free speech and common sense have scored a major victory on college campuses,” said ADF Senior Counsel Travis Barham. “As early as 2014, Dr. Josephson saw the truth behind dangerous procedures that activists were pushing on children struggling with their sex. He risked his livelihood and reputation to speak the truth boldly, and the university punished him for expressing his opinion—ultimately by dismissing him. But public universities have no business punishing professors simply because they hold different views. Dr. Josephson’s case illustrates why—because the latest and best science confirms what he stated all along. Hopefully, other public universities will learn from this that if they violate the First Amendment, they can be held accountable, and it can be very expensive.”
“I’m glad to finally receive vindication for voicing what I know is true,” said Josephson. “Children deserve better than life-altering procedures that mutilate their bodies and destroy their ability to lead fulfilling lives. In spite of the circumstances I suffered through with my university, I’m overwhelmed to see that my case helped lead the way for other medical practitioners to see the universal truth that altering biological sex is impossibly dangerous while acceptance of one’s sex leads to flourishing.”
The university hired Josephson to head up the then-struggling Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, which he turned around into a program that received a national reputation for its work. He received high praise from both the university and outside psychiatric associations for his work. Josephson was also sought out for advice on how to improve and lead other child and adolescent psychiatry divisions.
But when Josephson, during a Heritage Foundation panel discussion, spoke in his personal capacity against subjecting children to harmful drugs and surgery in radical, misguided attempts to treat gender dysphoria, university officials—responding to demands from activists at the university’s LGBT Center—demoted him to the role of a junior faculty member and stripped him of his teaching duties. University officials then conspired to get him fired. These efforts included keeping an “Allan tracking document,” solicited complaints from alumni who were coached on what to say, and discussing the need to generate “strong documentation” to avoid his reappointment. In February 2019, the university announced that it would not renew his contract, terminating his employment at the university after nearly 15 years of distinguished service.
In light of the settlement and the agreement on attorneys’ fees, ADF attorneys filed a stipulated dismissal of the remaining claims in the case on Monday.
- Pronunciation guide: Barham (BEAR’-um)
The ADF Center for Academic Freedom is dedicated to protecting First Amendment and related freedoms for students and faculty so that everyone can participate freely in the marketplace of ideas without fear of government censorship.
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