Lawsuit alleges U of Houston failed to address Black staffer’s claims that dean showed bias
The employee who filed the federal lawsuit is a gay, Black man who said he encountered almost immediate racial discrimination and homophobia when he began working at the campus in September 2021.
The University of Houston-Downtown is the target of a lawsuit by an employee who claimed the university neglected to discipline its former business school dean despite being informed of his “discriminatory actions.”
According to the Houston Chronicle, employees allegedly made UH-Downtown aware of issues involving Charles Gengler, who left his position as dean of the Marilyn Davies College of Business in March, nearly two years before he stepped down.
UH-Downtown officials said in a statement they disagree with and would vigorously challenge the claims made by the employee who filed the federal lawsuit in March and still works there.
The employee who filed the lawsuit, who asked the Chronicle not to name him, is a gay, Black man who said he encountered almost immediate racial discrimination and homophobia when he began working at the campus in September 2021.
The employee’s attorneys allege that UH-Downtown fostered a hostile workplace and “perpetuated and emboldened” Gengler’s discriminatory behavior by failing to address and correct him, violating Texas labor law and the U.S. Civil Rights Act.
According to the lawsuit, when the employee told Gengler he met university president Loren Blanchard, a Black woman, soon after being employed, Gengler said, “Nice, it will probably make me look good that I hire Blacks!”
The employee’s attorneys claim Gengler made several further remarks implying he recruited their client to avoid discrimination accusations.
The employee also claimed to have overheard Gengler telling another Black employee to don a monkey suit, even though Gengler stated he wasn’t alluding to the racial trope with ties to slavery.
The employee claimed he was humiliated in April 2022 when Gengler falsely implicated him in a campus crime. He stated he left his office when university police informed the public of an assault by a “tall Black man.” He returned to learn that Gengler told other academics and employees he was the assailant because he “fit the description.”
Days after the alleged assault comment, the employee launched a formal discrimination complaint against the university under Title IX.
Attorneys have also claimed in court that the university was aware of other instances of discrimination before the case even began. Some business instructors mentioned possible problems with Gengler in the summer of 2021 before the employee joined UH-Downtown.
While the lawsuit does not name Gengler as a defendant, his attorney Alfonso Kennard said the allegations shocked him and his client. Kennard added, “Dr. Gengler categorically denies these accusations that have been thrown against him.”
In their statement, officials described the university as “a community of diverse faculty, staff, students, and regional partners dedicated to nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future.”
“At UHD, we believe in fostering an inclusive, respectful learning environment free from harassment and intimidation for all students, staff, and faculty,” officials said. “Furthermore, we investigate all complaints and allegations while respecting individuals’ rights to privacy and due process.”
The dean received a “poor” performance rating from 50% of respondents to a survey about the faculty climate.
In response to a question regarding the root of the issues, one person called the dean unprofessional, and another claimed he and another staff member had permitted and encouraged a toxic work environment.
A third query on potential approaches to their obstacles led to someone saying the dean was “polluting the environment and needs to be sanctioned.”
Another individual suggested that the Marilyn Davies College of Business would likely undergo adjustments due to negative publicity or a lawsuit at some point.
Since federal law tightly shields Title IX proceedings, UHD spokeswoman Marie Jacinto said she could not comment on individual cases.
She noted that every investigation differs depending on the circumstances, and some take longer to complete than others.
“We protect the rights of all parties throughout the process and take appropriate action if a violation is found,” Jacinto added, the Chronicle reported. “The action taken, if there is a finding of violation of our policy, is commensurate with the specific circumstances involved.”
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