United States Seventh Circuit

Summary judgment for defendants in a Title VII and First Amendment retaliation suit over the denial of tenure to a professor at the University of Illinois is affirmed where: 1) the original entry of default judgment was an unduly harsh sanction in the case; 2) plaintiff was unable to demonstrate a genuine issue of material fact regarding his Title VII claim through either the direct or indirect methods; and 3) plaintiff's speech did not motivate the denial of tenure.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/05/2006
• Decided 01/17/2007
• Published 01/17/2007

Judges

• FLAUM, Circuit Judge., Before FLAUM, WOOD, and EVANS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• David Stevens (argued), Heller, Holmes & Associates, Mattoon, IL, for Plaintiff-Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• James C. Kearns (argued), Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, Urbana, IL, for Defendants-Appellees.