Two former faculty members at North Carolina Central University in Durham have filed federal race discrimination lawsuits against the university and the dean of the business school Wanda Lester. One White faculty member claims he was fired because of his race. The second faculty member, who is of Cuban descent, says she was passed over for promotion and had a salary that was significantly less than African American colleagues who had inferior qualifications.
A third lawsuit was filed in state court by the former chief of staff of Chancellor Debra Saunders-White. The suit alleges that the chief-of-staff, who is White, reported financial irregularities in the chancellor’s office. The suit claims she was retaliated against, subjected to a racially hostile work environment, and eventually fired.
A university spokesperson stated that the university “plans to vigorously and aggressively defend itself against the numerous unfounded allegations contained in the complaints.”
