Dustin Lance Black accepted settlement fee over college speech controversy

Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black accepted a $26,000 (£16,250) settlement from officials at his alma mater after they withdrew an invitation to speak at the college’s commencement ceremony over his 2009 nude photo scandal. The 1994 Pasadena City College graduate was asked to share his words of advice to the class of 2014 earlier this year (May14), but school boardmembers subsequently backtracked and ditched Black amid fears the personal controversy, which involved the leak of explicit snaps of Black and his then-boyfriend, would damage the institution’s reputation.
The move to rescind the filmmaker’s invite was made in April (14), shortly after college administrators had to deal with the public fall out after one of its professors admitted to having affairs with students, and another lecturer confessed to showing naked images of himself to a pupil.
An outraged Black slammed the decision, blasting officials for attempting to “shame” him over the scandal and accusing them of “casting a shadow over all LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) students at PCC” – and his furious note, along with the threat of legal action, prompted educators to apologise for their behaviour and invite him back.
He ended up delivering the commencement speech after all, and now it has emerged that the Milk screenwriter only agreed to take the stage after receiving the offer for a monetary settlement.
As part of the deal, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Black can no longer pursue legal action against the school and neither party is permitted to discuss the settlement in public.