The tentacles of January 6th’s Capitol Hill riot in Washington, D.C. have reached all the way to Chapman University in Orange, California, after one of their own, law professor Dr. John Eastman, stood alongside Trump and Trump’s associates at the “Saving America” rally.

The rally, which featured speakers including President Trump, Trump family members, and Rudy Giuliani, was the precursor to the riot, with many accusing Trump and Guliani of making instigating statements, encouraging their supporters to violate the Capitol Building.

Eastman also took time to address the crowd during the rally, and in his speech, Eastman perpetuated the false claims of voter fraud. Eastman spoke about “secret folders” in Georgia that canceled out ballots in favor of Trump and the State’s two Republican senators. Eastman also perpetuated the notion that thousands of dead voters had their votes counted during the election.

After his remarks at the rally and the events that unfolded shortly after on Capitol Hill, faculty at Chapman University quickly mobilized to denounce Eastman’s actions.

In an open letter that was made public on January 9th, Chapman faculty members accuse Eastman of crossing the line of acceptable political discourse. They explain in their open letter, "Free speech is sacred, and tenured academics like Eastman have the privilege of speaking their mind without fear of repercussion. But Eastman abused that freedom.”

The letter accuses Eastman of playing a role in the Capitol Hill riot, stating, “Eastman spouted lies about ‘secret folders’ to fire up an angry crowd and stood next to Rudy Giuliani who called for 'trial by combat.' These conspiratorial claims of a stolen election were the basis of the insurrection, and he was identified on television as a faculty member of our university.”

The open letter called on the University to dismiss Eastman of his duties there, claiming, “It is time to move beyond President Struppa’s defense of free speech, to respond to a new situation, a very real threat, and an effort to destroy our democracy. We call on Chapman University’s officialdom, including the Faculty Senate, the President, the Provost, and the Dean of Fowler Law School, to promptly proceed to take action against John Eastman for his role in the events of January 6.”

The open letter was signed by 172 faculty members along with members of the Board of Trustees.

The university released a statement shortly after explaining, “After discussions over the course of the last week, Dr. John Eastman and Chapman University have reached an agreement pursuant to which he will retire from Chapman, effective immediately. Dr. Eastman’s departure closes this challenging chapter for Chapman and provides the most immediate and certain path forward for both the Chapman community and Dr. Eastman. Chapman and Dr. Eastman have agreed not to engage in legal actions of any kind, including any claim of defamation that may currently exist, as both parties move forward.”

Eastman’s Ties with Trump

Eastman has been a pop-up figure in the Trump administration over the past couple of months. He first graced headlines after writing an article questioning Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ legitimacy in her new role as VP because of her parents' legal status when she was born. Eastman also helped fan the flames on voter fraud by representing Donald Trump after the election and filing a brief before the US Supreme Court asking that over 20 million votes be nullified because of fraudulent voting. The Supreme Court did not hear the case.

Eastman has responded to the university's statement and offers words of praise and encouragement toward the president of the campus validating his right to free speech. However, Eastman addresses the open letter crafted by Chapman faculty saying in his resignation letter, “These 169 have created such a hostile environment for me that I no longer wish to be a member of the Chapman faculty, and am therefore retiring from my position, effective immediately.”