2nd trial begins in conservative's bias case against U. Iowa

Waterloo Courier ^ | 6/22/2015 | Ryan J Foley

[iowamark]

IOWA CITY, Iowa — After years of arguing that liberal Iowa law professors illegally derailed her career, a conservative lawyer will get a second chance to prove her claim to a jury.

Selection of jurors began Monday in federal court in Davenport in a lawsuit filed by anti-abortion activist Teresa Manning, who contends that the University of Iowa College of Law refused to hire her for teaching jobs because of her beliefs and associations.

The long-running lawsuit has been closely watched in higher education. Manning has reached a deal with a publisher to write a book about her experience, and has said the retrial provides a "historic moment" for social conservatives to expose what they claim is political discrimination against them in higher education.

"All the talk about diversity is a lie," Manning said in a recent speech to the Family Research Council. "We cannot have those in our law schools teaching the First Amendment, violating it."

For the university, the trial is another opportunity to convince jurors that its former law school dean didn't discriminate and end the drawn-out case... Jurors will decide whether Manning, who recently changed her last name from Wagner, faced discrimination and if so, how much she deserves in damages. Opening statements are expected Tuesday.

[iowamark]

Teresa Wagner speech from April:

http://www.frc.org/upcomingevents/wagner-v-jones-faculty-discrimination-and-conservative-politics

[gleeaikin]

SUI lawsuit ping