Florida professor fired after Newtown hoax blog loses case

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida college professor fired after publicly saying the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut was a hoax has lost a lawsuit claiming he was wrongfully terminated.

Local news outlets report that a federal jury on Monday sided with Florida Atlantic University. The school contended communications professor James Tracy was fired last year not because of his blog posts about the Sandy Hook school shooting but because he violated rules regarding reporting of outside work.

Tracy claimed his firing violated his free speech rights. He wrote on his blog that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax by the government to impose tougher gun control. Tracy sought reinstatement to his position, back pay and damages.

Twenty children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook in 2012.