{"id":24067,"date":"2019-07-25T00:08:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T00:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/25\/federal-board-reinstates-naval-academy-professor\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:37:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:37:25","slug":"federal-board-reinstates-naval-academy-professor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/07\/25\/federal-board-reinstates-naval-academy-professor\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal board reinstates Naval Academy professor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ANNAPOLIS, Md. \u2014 A U.S. Naval Academy professor who was removed by the academy after an investigation into his conduct in class was reinstated to his job by a federal board Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board ordered the reinstatement of Bruce Fleming<\/a> with back pay within 20 days. The English professor was removed in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administrative Judge Mark Syska wrote in the order that the primary witness in the case “had severe credulity issues.” He also wrote that the purported victims in the case, who were students, “did not generally take offense or have any actual issue with the appellant.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Moreover, much of the charged conduct, as noted by the investigating panel, did not appear to be actual misconduct in the context of free-wheeling classroom discussions,” Syska wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jason Ehrenberg, Fleming’s attorney, said academy officials were trying to punish his client for criticizing the academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Really what he was being attacked for was his outspokenness, his teaching style and his criticism of the academy,” Ehrenberg said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t