Historian Raz Segal has received a $250,000 settlement from the University of Minnesota (UMN). This comes over two years after the university withdrew its offer for Segal to lead its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
The university had extended the offer to Segal in June 2024, following a near-unanimous recommendation from an academic committee. However, the offer was rescinded five days later, with UMN citing "perspective" from community members.
This reversal followed criticism regarding Segal's October 2023 op-ed in Jewish Currents, where he described Israel's actions in Gaza as "a textbook case of genocide." Critics accused Segal of justifying Hamas crimes, an assertion he rejected.
Emails obtained by Segal through a public records request reportedly revealed a pressure campaign on university officials from donors, legislators, and pro-Israel activists. The Center for Constitutional Rights, representing Segal, argued that the university's actions were unconstitutional, retaliating against protected speech.