Former George Mason University law prof says he’s ‘fully vindicated’ after ‘relatively modest’ defamation suit settlement

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Former George Mason College regulation prof says he is ‘totally vindicated’ after ‘comparatively modest’ defamation swimsuit settlement

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 12, 2025, 2:59 pm CDT

A former professor on the George Mason College Antonin Scalia Legislation Faculty has reached a settlement in his defamation lawsuit towards two former college students who alleged that he abused his energy to provoke sexual relationships with them once they have been regulation college students.

Professor Joshua D. Wright settled with Elyse Dorsey and dropped his declare towards Freshfields counsel Angela Landry, report Legislation.com, Law360 and Reuters.

His swimsuit, filed in Fairfax County, Virginia, circuit court docket, had sought $108 million in damages.

The articles determine Dorsey as a Kirkland & Ellis associate, however the regulation agency’s web site web page for her seems to have been eliminated.

Dorsey’s settlement “gives Wright with a comparatively modest quantity of compensation and permits Dorsey to proceed talking out,” Legislation.com stories. Wright filed a movement to finish the litigation final week.

Wright had maintained that the relationships have been consensual, and the 2 girls have been “scorned former lovers.” In a press release launched to Law360, he mentioned he’s “relieved to have been totally vindicated. The proof has made it undeniably clear that the relationships in query have been consensual from the beginning. I stay totally dedicated to defending my fame and won’t hesitate to take additional authorized motion if crucial to carry accountable these chargeable for false accusations.”

The 2 defendants mentioned they have been happy with the event.

A press release by Dorsey’s lawyer mentioned the settlement will completely be paid from insurance coverage “and constituted lower than 0.3% of the damages professor Wright sought within the litigation,” in line with Legislation.com.

“Settling this case was a troublesome resolution, nevertheless it permits me to proceed my advocacy work with out the distraction or continued trauma of ongoing litigation,” Dorsey mentioned in a press release cited by Legislation.com.

Wright has the choice of refiling his declare inside six months towards Landry. Her lawyer, Stacey Rose Harris, informed Legislation.com that the dismissal “clearly speaks for itself.”

“Events ‘vindicated’ in litigation don’t voluntarily dismiss their very own claims on the eve of trial,” Harris mentioned.

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