"UC Riverside Professor's Resignation Amid Native American Identity Controversy"
Andrea Smith, a prominent ethnic studies professor at the University of California, Riverside, has agreed to retire next year following accusations that she falsely claimed to be Native American. The separation agreement allows her to keep her position until August 2024, teach classes until then, and retain retirement benefits, but she will not be listed in the university's directory as an emeritus professor. The agreement avoids an investigation into the faculty complaint and potential legal battles. While some Native scholars see this as a form of accountability, they lament that Smith did not acknowledge deception, and the university allowed her to evade a reckoning by not investigating the accusations.