Professor Sued The New School Over Termination

A tenured professor filed a lawsuit following university layoffs that occurred during a major reorganization.

Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Higher Education

Professor Sued The New School Over Termination

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Should universities be allowed to terminate tenured professors during institutional financial reorganizations?

Paul Kottman has initiated legal action against The New School, seeking reinstatement and back pay after his termination. His lawsuit follows the university's decision to lay off 19 educators earlier this year amid structural changes.

Why it matters

The case highlights a dispute over the protection of tenure rights during university restructurings aimed at addressing financial deficits. It challenges whether The New School met the necessary criteria for terminating tenured positions during its consolidation efforts.

Paul Kottman had served as a tenured professor at The New School since 2010. The layoffs affected 19 total staff members, 10 of whom held tenure status.

The players

Paul Kottman

He is a former tenured professor who has challenged his layoff from The New School.

The New School

This Manhattan-based private research university was founded in 1919 and recently underwent a major administrative reorganization.

The details

The New School consolidated four colleges into two in July 2026, merging the Parsons School of Design with the College of Performing Arts and the New School for Social Research with the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts. In his Article 78 proceeding, Kottman argues that the university failed to satisfy the required standards for terminating tenured professors in cases of discontinued programs.

June 2026: The New School laid off 19 professors.
July 2026: The university reorganization officially took effect.
September 24, 2026: The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court.

Culture Shift

The use of an Article 78 proceeding reflects a growing trend of faculty turning to judicial review to challenge institutional administrative decisions. This move highlights the friction between academic tenure protections and the fiscal reorganization strategies increasingly adopted by modern universities.

Students and faculty at the institution may face continued uncertainty as the litigation process unfolds in the Manhattan courts. The outcome could set a precedent for how university reorganization affects future staffing and academic programming in the city.

The takeaway

This case underscores the complex legal challenges institutions face when balancing financial sustainability with long-standing tenure agreements. It serves as a reminder of how internal university restructuring can trigger significant legal scrutiny and public debate regarding faculty rights.