Stuart Reges, University of Washington

Summary

Stuart Reges, a principal lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, claimed that he had been stripped of his primary teaching duties and given a one-year probationary appointment due to his numerous controversial stances.  The University Administration denied this claim, stating that Reges had not been demoted or placed on probation.  A University spokesperson stated that “we are revamping the way we manage the intro courses,” Balta wrote. “The new approach will be team-based, directly engaging Stuart, other lecturers, and tenure-track faculty in guiding the future of the courses. The duration of Stuart’s latest reappointment will give us an opportunity to evaluate how the transition in management structure and other changes are progressing after one year.”

Mr. Reges believes the administration sought to punish him over his conservative views, which include an article he wrote entitled “Why Women Don’t Code” and his refusal to abide by the University’s “Indigenous Land Acknowledgment” statement, as well as other University attempts to use more inclusive language.  He was also involved in an April 2019 “Affirmative Action bake Sale” hosted by UW College Republicans, in which baked goods were priced differently for different ethnicities to protest affirmative actions policies.

Mr. Reges’ past statements and notoriety have made him a cause célèbre amongst “free speech” advocates such as Jordan Peterson, amongst others.