University of Arizona professor files lawsuit after being fired for objecting to DEI initiatives
Professor Matthew Abraham filed a lawsuit against the school after he was flagged as 'ineligible' to serve on internal governance committees.
He claims that the university broke Title VII provisions in retaliation for challenging race-based hiring practices.
A University of Arizona Professor has filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming that the university broke Title VII provisions in retaliation for challenging race-based hiring practices.
Dr. Matthew Abraham, a University of Arizona Professor of English, filed against the University of Arizona’s Board of Regents on Nov. 25, with the Liberty Justice Center filing on his behalf.
The Liberty Justice Center, who filed on behalf of Dr. Abraham, is described as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan, public interest litigation firm that seeks to protect economic liberty, private property rights, free speech, and other fundamental rights.”
Having filed against the university and the Arizona Board of Regents, the center states on a website designated for the lawsuit that the case was brought as a challenge to “the University’s exclusion of Dr. Abraham from prestigious governance committees after he opposed and sought records about what he reasonably believed were unlawful, race-based hiring and selection practices tied to DEI initiatives.”
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The center adds that Dr. Abraham found “discriminatory practices” and “engaged in protected activity from 2017 to 2022.”
The protected activity was described by the center as “internal grievances, extensive public records requests, a September 15, 2020 demand letter through counsel, a public-records special action against the Arizona Board of Regents, and charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).”
Abraham also alleges that while he was pursuing these options, the university’s internal communications show that while he was also attempting to get on to governance committees, he was flagged as “ineligible” by the university.
In response to Campus Reform’s request for comment, a University of Arizona spokesperson said that, “The university will not comment on what is an active legal matter.”
The center also alleges that the university had violated Title VII’s anti-retaliation and anti-discrimination provisions, and is now seeking a court order to prohibit the university from using faculty filings of grievances as reasons to disqualify their participation in committees.
The Liberty Justice Center adds on a separate webpage that the lawsuit is about “Protected Activity vs. Discrimination,” with Angel J. Valencia, a senior counselor with the Liberty Justice Center, stating that “Retaliation for speaking out about unlawful discrimination is itself illegal.”
Ángel J. Valencia told Campus Reform that “The baseline of this filing is that a public university cannot punish a professor for speaking up about what he reasonably believes are unlawful, race‑based and DEI‑driven employment practices.”
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“Title VII protects faculty who file grievances, seek records, or go to the EEOC. The University of Arizona crossed that line by blacklisting and excluding Dr. Abraham from key committees because he exercised those rights,” Valencia added.
Speaking about the university’s “stigmatizing labels” and how Abraham could have future job prospects hurt, Valencia told Campus Reform that, “These actions are not just about denying him current opportunities. They are about creating a chilling effect and leaving a lasting, negative mark on his professional record, effectively punishing him for exercising his rights.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Arizona for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
