MONTGOMERY, Ala - Two white faculty members at Alabama State University has filed a lawsuit against the school in which they claim that ASU discriminates against whites in its hiring and admissions processes, USA Today reports.
Steven B. Chesbro, reportedly the only white dean at Alabama State, and John Garland, a faculty member, also took the issues with how the school allegedly implemented regulations against same-sex couples, according to USA Today.
According to source, Chesbro and Garland claim that the school retaliated against them for speaking up about the university's alleged use of race to decide which students are admitted to the school and which faculty members are hired.
Chesbro and Garland attorney Wayne Sabel, described some of the statements that were allegedly made to his clients about which faculty members should be brought on board to teach African-American students. "You look at some of the statements they have made that are in the complaint, and they are saying things like, 'Only black professors should teach black students," Sabel said.
Sabel even stated that his clients were physically threatened when they voiced their concerns about these issues. "They have told Dr. Chesbro that his hands are tied in the face of gross insubordination, and even threats of physical harm," said Sabel said.
Sabel also claimed that Chesbro and Garland are being forced out of their positions for taking a stand against the alleged discrimination: "There is clearly a campaign not only to force Dr. Chesbro and Dr. Garland out, but to force out a number of other longtime white faculty."
According to source, ASU's administration has denied the allegations and says that discussions about Chesbro's and Garland's employment had nothing to do with race or sexual orientation. "They deny that anything related to [Chesbro's and Garland's] employment arose because of anything racial or anything related to their sexual orientation," said Bobby Segall, attorney representing ASU.
There are at least six Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges among Chesbro's and Garland's claims pending against the university; preference was given to black female professors during a hunt for a new faculty member and preference was also given to African-American doctoral candidates in the school's physical therapy program; and black students were admitted to the physical therapy program at a higher rate than white students, even though there were more white students who satisfied the GPA requirements for admission. They also claim that rules preventing couples from working together in the same department applied only to same-sex couples.
With this being said and being an historically black university with no rights to discriminate, how do you feel about these actions by Alabama State University?