UConn discrimination lawsuit overview:
- Who: Tiffany A. Brown filed a lawsuit against the University of Connecticut.
- Why: Brown claims UConn racially discriminated against her during her time as an assistant professor and ultimately fired her in retaliation for her speaking up about it.
- Where: The lawsuit was filed in Connecticut federal court.
The University of Connecticut racially discriminated against a Black assistant professor and retaliated against her for speaking up by refusing to renew her employment contract, a new lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Tiffany A. Brown claims she was subjected to racial discrimination while employed as an assistant professor at UConn during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic school years.
Brown argues she was not only allegedly subjected to a hostile work environment but also paid “substantially less” than two male employees and a Hispanic female employee who were “in all material respects, similarly situated” to her.
“The defendant subjected the plaintiff to discrimination in terms of her compensation and denied equal pay for equal work performed” the UConn lawsuit states.
Brown claims UConn is guilty of violating provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
UConn began discriminating against Black assistant professor as soon as she started, says suit
Brown argues she was subjected to racial discrimination from the very beginning of her time at UConn when she was assigned to teach courses related to race, despite having neither the experience or qualifications to do so.
“The defendant resorted to an opinion, based on racial stereotypes, that the plaintiff, being African American and Black, would be better suited to teach race related courses than non-African American and non-Black professors similarly situated to the plaintiff,” the UConn lawsuit states.
Brown also described a scheduling conflict that she had with a professor about a class she was assigned to teach, which she argued ultimately involved passive aggressive discrimination and “microaggressions” towards her.
The decision not to reappoint Brown ultimately came after she made it known that she would be filing a discrimination charge with UConn’s Office of Institutional Equity, according to the UConn lawsuit.
Brown is demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory relief, to be reinstated to her position of tenure track Assistant Professor, back pay and benefits and compensatory damages.
In another case involving a Connecticut school, the state filed a lawsuit against Stone Academy and its owner Joseph Bierbaum last month over claims the nursing school failed to provide its students with the training they were promised, among other things.
Have you been racially discriminated against by your employer? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by Thomas W. Bucci of Willinger, Willinger & Bucci, P.C.
The University of Connecticut discrimination lawsuit is Brown v. University of Connecticut, Case No. 3:23-cv-01488, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.
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