It's hard to keep the lid on - Part 8

Every once in a awhile, we come back to the Amarasekare case - a faculty member suspended for uncertain reasons who seems to be the center of discord in her department for reasons unclear. And always there is the official disclaimer that it's a personnel case so it cannot be made clear. Of course, if it ends up in court, lots of dirty laundry will be on display - personnel cases or not.

The Bruin recently picked up the story (again):

A prominent UCLA ecologist on involuntary leave filed a lawsuit against the University earlier this month, alleging wrongful suspension, harassment and racial discrimination. Ecology and evolutionary biology professor Priyanga Amarasekare joined UCLA in 2005, but she was suspended in July 2022 for a year with no pay by then-Chancellor Gene Block. He escalated recommendations made by an Academic Senate committee months earlier to censure Amarasekare, a widow from Sri Lanka with two children, and dock her pay.

Amarasekare told the Daily Bruin earlier this year that her punishment was retaliation for speaking out against a departmental culture of racism and that it damaged her and her students’ careers. “Amarasekare was subjected to discriminatory, harassing and retaliatory conduct on the basis of her gender, race, color, ethnicity, ancestry and national origin,” reads the complaint, which was filed at the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Oct. 10. “Amarasekare was also retaliated against and subjected to multiple adverse actions over the course of her employment for opposing discrimination, harassment and retaliation and/or making complaints.” ...

Amarasekare’s lawyers are seeking damages in excess of $35,000 and a trial by jury, but they declined to say whether they were open to a settlement...

Amarasekare has exhausted all other available avenues to push back on the charges, including filing complaints with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Civil Rights Department, according to the lawsuit. The agencies have declined to investigate her charges and have given her the opportunity to file her own suit, according to the complaint...

Full story at https://dailybruin.com/2024/10/22/ucla-accused-an-ecologist-of-harassment-shes-now-suing-for-discrimination.

One suspects there is some room for settlement here.