In her lawsuit, López Prater alleged the small St. Paul university subjected her to religious discrimination and defamation, and damaged her professional and personal reputation. The judge in the case later dismissed several claims in the lawsuit, but said the lawsuit could proceed on the basis of religious discrimination.
According to federal court records, the settlement was reached on Monday. Details of the settlement are under seal.
The controversy began in October 2023 when López Prater showed a 14th-century painting depicting the Prophet Muhammad to her students as part of a lesson on Islamic art. She had warned them in the class syllabus, allowing them to opt out. She also reportedly gave a trigger warning before the lesson in which the image was shown. A student who attended the class — who was president of Hamline's Muslim Student Association — complained to the university, saying the trigger warning didn't define what image would be shown. In Islam, portraying the Prophet Muhammad has long been taboo for many.
The university later decided not to renew López Prater's contract.
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