Federal Dean Case (Voluntarily Dismissed)
In July 2026, I sued to block the University’s appointment of Gregory Van Tatenhove as dean of the law school over the faculty’s objection that he is unqualified. The appointment violates my First Amendment right of expressive association because I joined the faculty in part to send the message that my scholarship is subject to the review of peer scholars. I voluntarily dismissed the case in August 2026 and refiled it in state court. Woodcock v. Van Tatenhove, No. 5:26-cv-00262 (E.D. Ky.).
The major filings in this case are provided below.
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Voluntary Dismissal
I dismissed the federal dean case without prejudice and refiled it in Kentucky state court.
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Opinion & Order
After denying a temporary restraining order at a hearing on July 20, the court also denied my requests for expedited discovery and an expedited preliminary-injunction hearing. I respectfully disagree with the court’s analysis. The court: (1) suggested that an informal group like a law faculty may not be an expressive association, although one federal court…
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Supplemental Memorandum in Support of a Temporary Restraining Order
The court asked whether a temporary restraining order was still needed once the July 15 start date had passed. I explained that Van Tatenhove’s start had been postponed to July 20 and that the harm is ongoing. As long as the faculty are led by a dean they have judged a non-peer, the message I…
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Dean Lawsuit Complaint
I sued to block the appointment of former federal judge Gregory Van Tatenhove as dean of the law school. The faculty had rejected him as unacceptable because he has no record of scholarship. Imposing a dean the faculty consider unqualified to judge their work deprives us of our ability to claim that our work is…
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Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction
I asked the court to stop Van Tatenhove from taking office on July 15 and to place the powers of the dean in the hands of the faculty’s elected Executive Committee until the University appoints a dean the faculty approves.