Popular professor fired at HBCU files lawsuit alleging anti-white discrimination
A tenured white professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore who was fired with little explanation has filed a lawsuit claiming that her termination was race-related.
Professor Donna Satterlee alleges that she was regularly harassed by administrators and denied promotion despite having unanimous support from her department.
A white professor at a historically black university has filed a lawsuit, saying she was targeted and fired because of her race.
Donna Satterlee, a tenured assistant professor of human ecology and child development who had worked at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for more than 20 years, filed a lawsuit against the school in July after being terminated last year.
The complaint includes a variety of allegations, including harassment, disparate treatment, and race-based discrimination.
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Satterlee says that the university president, Heidi Anderson, “has expressed a preference for African-Americans in hiring of faculty and staff and the upper-administration of the university exhibits a marked bias against Caucasian and Asian citizens.”
She also notes that “Black faculty and administrators are paid vastly higher than others of similar or better qualifications.” According to the complaint, department chair Grace Namwamba confirmed this to Dr. Satterlee. When Satterlee raised concerns, Namwamba allegedly responded “in a highly intimidating manner causing extreme anxiety,” prompting Satterlee to seek a protective order with the human resources office.
Satterlee also alleges “unsanitary workspaces” and “unsafe work conditions” in her suit. “There was mold in her office, sticky classroom flooring, whereas other Black faculty were given preferential treatment,” according to the court filing.
One of the central points of the lawsuit revolves around Satterlee’s denial of promotion to full professorship. Despite receiving a committee rating of 82.2 points out of 100, with 70 being the necessary threshold for promotion, Namwamba recommended that the school deny Satterlee’s promotion. Her application for promotion was ultimately denied.
According to the lawsuit, “Denial of promotion happens only in the rarest of rare cases.”
Shortly after the rejection, the school decided to terminate Dr. Satterlee after investigating allegations that she “bullied” Namwamba. Satterlee “categorically denied the allegations,” which she says “had no evidentiary basis, were vague, and the investigation being conducted in violation of basic due process rights.”
She also pointed out in a statement to the Office of Inclusion and Equity that the school’s Workplace Bullying Policy “prohibits unjustifiable misconduct by the employer that is harmful to an employee,” and that she “cannot be punished under this policy for bullying Dr. Namwamba because she is my chair and my supervisor …”
In a written statement to Campus Reform, Satterlee said, “If at all UMES wanted to terminate me, they were mandated to follow [University System of Maryland] policy on tenure which would have required due process. They did not follow due process and illegally terminated my tenured position. It is an act of sheer evil. They did not follow due process because they simply had no lawful grounds and believed they were above the law.”
Satterlee also noted in an interview with Campus Reform that she is not the only faculty member to suffer termination or unfair treatment. Cui Fang, a former associate professor at the school, was fired after returning from maternity leave with no given reason.
Dr. Nancy Niemi, the former provost, advised Satterlee regarding her dispute with Namwamba, but was likewise “pushed out of UMES by Heidi Anderson for seeking to uphold academic standards and fair workplace practices,” according to the lawsuit. Satterlee told Campus Reform that Niemi oversaw funding and was questioning potential fraud at the time of her dismissal.
Two other white faculty members were kept on staff and paid but restricted from teaching, also with no justification.
Satterlee is seeking reinstatement as a full professor at the school, punitive damages, an order for the defendants to “carry out policies, practices, and programs which provide equal employment opportunities for all employees, regardless of race and sex,” among other remedies.
All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
