Ex-law prof seeks to end his case against former students who accused him of sexual misconduct

By Karen Sloan

March 7 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Federal Trade Commission member and ex-George Mason law professor Joshua Wright on Thursday moved to end his $108 million defamation lawsuit against two former students who accused him of sexual misconduct.

Wright sought to voluntarily dismiss his lawsuit just days before the case was scheduled to go to trial in Virginia state court on Monday. He said on Friday that he reached a settlement with Elyse Dorsey — one of the two defendants — but declined to disclose the terms.

On Thursday, Wright sought to dismiss his claims against Dorsey's fellow defendant Angela Landry under a provision of Virginia law that would enable him to refile his suit within six months.

“I remain fully committed to defending my reputation and will not hesitate to take further legal action if necessary to hold accountable those responsible for false accusations,” Wright said in a prepared statement. He served as an FTC commissioner from 2013 to 2015.

Dorsey and Landry, reached by email, directed questions on Friday to their lawyers, who were unavailable for comment.

Wright sued his two former students — Dorsey, who is now a partner at Kirkland & Ellis; and Landry, now counsel at Freshfields — in August 2023. Both women said in media accounts that same month that Wright had used his position first as their professor and later as an influential antitrust attorney who could advance their careers to engage in sexual relationships with them that spanned years. They said they feared professional repercussions if they ended those relationships.

Wright, who taught antitrust law at George Mason, claimed in his defamation suit that his relationships with Dorsey and Landry were consensual and that their accusations cost him clients and income.

Wright resigned his teaching post at George Mason’s law school in 2023 after the sexual misconduct allegations went public. He sued the university in November 2023, alleging that it violated Title IX and its internal policies when it investigated him in 2021 after Dorsey filed a complaint against him. Wright ended that case in December after a federal judge in September dismissed eight of his nine claims.

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