LSU Reinstates Law Professor Ken Levy

Louisiana State University has returned law professor Ken Levy to his teaching position after removing him from the classroom in January 2025.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Law

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LSU reinstated law professor Ken Levy approximately three weeks before this report, after he was removed from the classroom in January 2025 over comments made during a lecture. The university has confirmed Levy will be included in its Spring 2027 teaching schedule.

Why it matters

The case raises questions about academic freedom and whether political remarks made in a university classroom can lead to removal. Levy has filed a lawsuit alleging his removal violated his rights.

Levy was removed from his classroom in January 2025 and reinstated about three weeks before publication, with LSU confirming his return for Spring 2027. His lawsuit against the university over the removal remains pending.

The players

Ken Levy

Ken Levy is a law professor at Louisiana State University whose removal and reinstatement over classroom remarks about Governor Jeff Landry has drawn attention to faculty speech protections.

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University is the public flagship university in Baton Rouge that removed and then reinstated law professor Ken Levy.

The details

Levy was teaching a January 14, 2025 class on interactions between police and the public when he criticized Governor Jeff Landry for publicly shaming a law school colleague on social media, using profanity during the remarks. Levy has said he intends to hold the university accountable for what he describes as misconduct and a violation of his rights.

January 14, 2025: Levy makes the lecture comments that lead to his removal.
January 2025: Levy is removed from the classroom.
Approximately October 14, 2026: LSU reinstates Levy.
Spring 2027: Levy is scheduled to return to teaching.

Legal Context

Cases involving faculty speech at public universities are often measured against academic freedom principles and First Amendment protections for government employees. Levy's removal and reinstatement places LSU's handling of classroom remarks within that legal framework.

Students enrolled in law courses at LSU may see changes to the teaching schedule as Levy returns for Spring 2027. The case also signals how classroom speech by faculty at public universities can carry formal disciplinary consequences.

The takeaway

Faculty speech at public universities can trigger serious institutional responses, and disputes like Levy's are often resolved through litigation. Readers following similar cases should watch how courts weigh academic freedom against institutional authority.