Two notable complaints have been filed this month against Oregon State University including a lawsuit against OSU, Provost and acting President Ed Feser, Senior Vice Provost Susan Capalbo, and businessman William Comer; and a complaint against OSU and Executive Director of Student Experiences and Engagement Damoni Wright.
In a whistleblower lawsuit, former Dean of the OSU College of Pharmacy Grace Kuo claimed that her demotion from the position of Dean was unlawfully retaliatory.
Kuo and Charlene Alexander, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, went to Feser and Capalbo in 2020 about an issue with students’ complaints “related to discrimination, bias towards students who speak English with an accent and sexual harassment.” The complaints had gone to then-Executive Associate Dean of the College of Pharmacy Gary Delander, who either did not respond, responded inappropriately, or did not adequately follow up, according to the lawsuit.
Capalbo and Feser allegedly advised Kuo to ask Delander to step down from his administrative position. However when she did, the University received furious complaints from various College of Pharmacy alumni saying they would withdraw monetary contributions as a result of Delander’s demotion.
According to the lawsuit, Feser was “extremely angry,” and said Kuo had “made a serious mistake.” On Dec. 3, 2020, Kuo was demoted from Dean to a tenured professor. She is now demanding a jury trial and damages not exceeding $750,000.
OSU’s other discrimination complaint this month was from former Director of Experiential Learning and Activities Candace Baltz through the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. This complaint claimed that the University and Baltz’ supervisor, Damoni Wright, did not make reasonable accommodations for her disability and denied her protected leave, as well as firing her.
In the complaint, Baltz said she was receiving appropriate accommodations for her disabilities, including a severe airborne allergy, until Wright became the director of Student Experiences and Engagement. She claims he unnecessarily made environments inaccessible to her, including meetings where her allergen was present, and failed to communicate her accommodation needs when necessary.
Although she met with an investigator from OSU’s Equal Opportunity and Access office, Baltz said an investigation was not opened and her concerns were not addressed.
In summer of 2020, Baltz said she sought protected leave without pay due to her disabilities. Shortly thereafter she was informed that Wright did not approve her leave, and was given notice that her contract would not be renewed.
Baltz also added in her complaint that Wright, a black man, had a “history of harassing and terminating or constructively discharging significantly more white women compared to people of other races and genders.” Baltz is a white and Native American woman.
OSU spokesperson Steve Clark said the University disputes both Kuo and Baltz’ claims, encourages members of the community to report misconduct, and prohibits discrimination of any kind, including retaliation.
By Ardea C. Eichner
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