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California Professor Accused of Faking Native American Ancestry Resigns

Andrea Smith will retire after her colleagues alleged she lied about her Cherokee heritage, but will sidestep any investigation into the accusation.

A professor of ethnic studies in California has signed onto what The New York Times called an “unusual” separation agreement with her university after faculty colleagues accused her of falsely claiming to be Native American. Andrea Smith’s agreement with the University of California, Riverside, inked in January, comes after 13 other educators filed a complaint alleging she violated academic integrity by lying about her Cherokee ancestry. Smith is not registered as a member of the Cherokee Nation, but wrote in 2015 that “I have always been, and will always be Cherokee.” The agreement allows her to quietly retire next year, sidestepping any investigation into the complaint. She will be allowed to continue teaching until then while retaining her retirement benefits and an honorary emeritus title, according to the Times. A university spokesperson emphasized the “timely” nature of the agreement, suggesting in a statement it was a good thing that all parties could avoid a lengthy investigation and appeals process. Philip Deloria, a Harvard professor of Native history who worked with Smith at the University of Michigan, bemoaned that she had, once again, dodged accountability. (Smith has faced challenges to her identity since 2008.) “She deflects, angles and wriggles—and here it is again,” he said.