Bakersfield College and the California community college system reached a settlement with a professor who challenged diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility requirements tied to teaching and faculty evaluation. Under the agreement announced Tuesday, the professor cannot be required to apply DEIA principles in teaching or scholarship. The settlement still allows the college to require mandatory DEIA training for the professor as part of duties on a faculty screening committee. The deal also includes $150,000 for the professor’s legal fees, according to the Institute for Free Speech, which represented him. The case followed a preliminary injunction earlier this year and targeted rules adopted in 2023 that linked faculty evaluations to DEIA competencies. The agreement applies to the named professor rather than broadly preventing the system from enforcing its DEIA framework.