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Cleveland State University this week with sculptor . Readers of �鶹��ýIOS’s blog may remember that last fall, the university censored Lawless’s sculpture , which has been on campus since 2008.

The sculpture has always featured provocative phrases, but when CSU censored the most recent update — ”BUILD A WALL OF PUSSIE” — with a repurposed homecoming banner, Lawless sued. His contract with the university, which had recently been extended through 2020, that the university could not “modify, disassemble or demolish” the piece.

— Billie Lawless (@billielawless)

Lawless and the university have now agreed to a settlement wherein the artist will receive $50,000, and remove the piece from campus by mid-summer. According to a regarding the settlement, “The parties have worked together to amicably resolve their recent dispute.”

�鶹��ýIOS is disappointed that this issue had to be litigated at all — especially because Cleveland State University is a green light institution in �鶹��ýIOS’s Spotlight database. That designation means that, as written, none of CSU’s policies infringe on student or faculty speech rights. CSU’s faculty has also endorsed the Chicago Statement, which signals its commitment to fostering a climate supportive of free expression.

Nevertheless, we’re pleased that the settlement was reached amicably, and we hope that other institutions view this as a warning about the potential financial risks incurred by censorship. �鶹��ýIOS has written extensively on art censorship in the past and we will continue to follow the issue closely.