Fake Native American professor agrees to retire without penalty

A California professor accused of lying about being Native American dodged a university investigation into the allegations after agreeing to retire from her position, the New York Times reported Sunday.

Andrea Smith, an ethnic studies professor at the University of California, Riverside, reached an agreement with the school to retire from her teaching position in August 2024, according to a separation agreement obtained by the Times.

The authenticity of Smith’s claimed heritage was initially challenged in 2008 after she was rejected for tenure at the University of Michigan, the Times reported. Smith’s Native American identity was further questioned when it was revealed that she was not enrolled with the Cherokee Nation.