Fired Child Psychiatrist Scores $1.6 Million Settlement After Criticizing Gender Therapy

The University of Louisville has agreed to cough up almost $1.6 million to settle a lawsuit from Dr. Allan Josephson, a child psychiatrist who lost his job after publicly challenging gender-affirming treatments for children.

Josephson, who spent nearly 15 years leading the university's Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, was credited in his complaint with reviving a struggling department and earning top marks in annual reviews. But things turned sour in 2017 after Josephson, speaking in his personal capacity, criticized medical interventions for transgender youth. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented Josephson, said his comments led to a swift demotion and, eventually, his firing.

ADF announced the settlement on Monday, calling it a "major victory" for free speech on campus. Josephson himself said he was "glad to finally receive vindication for voicing what I know is true," stressing his belief that children deserve better than "life-altering procedures." He added, "My case helped lead the way for other medical practitioners to see the universal truth that altering biological sex is impossibly dangerous." Not exactly holding back, is he?

The trouble reportedly began after Josephson participated in a panel discussion on transgender issues hosted by The Heritage Foundation, where he voiced concerns about activist influence on youth medical treatment. His remarks caught the attention of the university's LGBT center, which allegedly pressured his department to respond. Scrutiny ramped up after he served as an expert witness in a legal case over a school's gender identity policy.

Colleagues unhappy with his opinions urged the university to discipline him. By November 2017, Josephson was demoted, and according to his lawsuit, university officials then "belittled and berated him," slashed his pay and benefits, and finally let him go in early 2019.

Josephson sued the university, claiming his firing was retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights. After six years of legal wrangling, the university agreed to settle, and a stipulated dismissal was filed in court this week.

"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," said ADF Senior Counsel Travis Barham. A lesson in both constitutional rights and costly HR decisions, apparently.

The University of Louisville declined to comment on the settlement.