Oregon State University Pays $101K Settle Campus Paper Suit

Oregon State University has paid $1,000 plus $100,000 in legal fees to a former student to settle a lawsuit over the confiscation of distribution boxes for a conservative-leaning student newspaper.

The Oregonian reported the university did not acknowledge wrongdoing but agreed to the payout to William Rogers to end the lawsuit, which was dismissed Wednesday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had revived the lawsuit after a U.S. District Court judge dismissed it.

Supporters of the newspaper called The Liberty sued in 2009, alleging the university president and other school officials granted the official campus newspaper numerous bins while restricting The Liberty’s distribution. Lower-ranking campus officials said they removed The Liberty’s boxes to beautify the campus. Top school officials said they had not ordered the destruction.

The university has since changed its policies to allow approved student groups that publish newspapers to distribute them on campus.

Rogers was the paper’s executive editor at the time. The Oregonian says The Liberty ceased operations at Oregon State after 2009.