Cases & Developments

Opinion and Order granting in part and denying in part Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Plaintiff, a former faculty member at Benedict College who is African American, brought Title VII and §1981 retaliation claims, as well as state law claims for breach of contract, wrongful termination, and defamation against the College. Following student complaints regarding plaintiff’s course instruction, including that the instruction relied almost exclusively on peer teaching, plaintiff was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and eventually terminated. Plaintiff avers that his placement on a PIP, termination, and other negative actions by supervisory personnel within the College were motivated by his complaints regarding purportedly problematic treatment by his White supervisor. Plaintiff’s allegations of retaliatory actions beyond his termination included alleged harassment, disrespect, supervisor demands for daily emails, refusal to fund any activity or effort associated with plaintiff’s requests for teaching materials, choir needs, and attendance at conferences, as well as “baiting his students to make false accusations against [plaintiff],” and denying his requests for leave of absence. Since the Court found that the College did not address these allegations insofar as they formed the basis for pro se plaintiff’s §1981 retaliation claim “on acts in addition to his termination,” the Court partially sustained plaintiff’s objection to the magistrate judge’s recommendation and permitted this narrow claim to proceed, but granted summary judgment in favor of the College on all other claims.