Wigginton v. University of Mississippi, et al., No. 3:15CV093-NPP-RB

Wigginton joined the faculty of the University of Mississippi as an assistant professor of Legal Studies in 2008, and thereafter received excellent reviews and was awarded for his work. When the time came to apply for tenure, his tenure committee recommended tenure, as did his dean and external reviewers, yet other deans recommended denying tenure, disregarding external reviews and citing a dearth of scholarship, contrary to Wigginton reviews.

In 2014, a review committee found deficiencies in the tenure application review process and recommended the award of tenure and promotion.

Nevertheless, the University Provost recommended against tenure and promotion.

Wigginton prevailed on appeal and an extension of his probationary period was recommended.

Instead, the university’s chancellor rejected the application for tenure and promotion and terminated Wigginton effective in May, 2017.

The Mississippi Board of Trustee of Institutions of Higher Learning denied review. The Board terminated the chancellor in 2015,

The federal district court in Mississippi has denied dismissal on the basis of qualified immunity and denied summary judgment where genuine issues of material fact exist concerning whether Wigginton was discriminated against in denial of promotion and tenure, whether there was arbitrary and capricious review, and whether there was retaliation where Wigginton exercised constitutionally protected speech rights.

Wigginton v. Univ. of Miss. (N.D. Miss., 2017)