(Patriot.Buzz) – Following an unrelenting attack that ended up in vindication for a university professor, a former faculty member emerged victorious in a legal battle against a St. Louis-based historically black college.
The legal dispute centered on allegations against Harris-Stowe State University and saw Beverly Brennan, a white professor, securing a $750,000 judgment on grounds of racial and gender discrimination.
Brennan’s complaints highlighted a workplace environment stained by discriminatory practices and retaliatory actions following her criticisms.
A local newspaper reported, “Beverly Buck Brennan, who is the daughter of Jack Buck and sister of Joe Buck, taught speech and theater classes at the historically Black university from 1993 until 2017.”
It added, “She directed the Missouri state school’s speech and theater program, describing much of her time there as a dream job.”
However, the dynamics shifted when Lateef Adelani was appointed as the dean of the College of Arts and Science and Dwayne Smith as the provost for academic affairs, both of whom were implicated in the lawsuit alongside the university itself.
According to the litigation, Harris-Stowe’s leadership fostered a divisional atmosphere for asking faculty members about their allegiance to either “white teachers” or “us.”
As reported by Fox 2, Brennan opted to allocate the entirety of her financial award to the university’s Theater Department in a noble gesture, which underscores her continued dedication to enriching the educational landscape there.
This legal outcome marks the second time Harris-Stowe State University has faced defeat in court over racial discrimination claims brought forward by a white educator.
The university previously suffered a $5 million loss in a lawsuit filed by Beverly Wilkins, whose contract was not renewed after she voiced criticisms of racially charged remarks made by a department chair.
The implicated chair, Latisha Smith, took up a permanent position and cited budgetary constraints as the reason for not renewing Wilkins’ contract. According to The Fix, this explanation was contradicted by the subsequent hiring of two black professors at an additional cost of $23,000.
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