Photo: UMES
An HBCU president has hit back against a white former professor who accused school leadership of discrimination and plagiarism, per The Root.
The dispute between Donna Saterlee, who is white, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) president Dr. Heidi Anderson began in July, when the ex-professor sued the school, alleging wrongful termination, pay inequity, and discrimination.
In her lawsuit, Saterlee, who taught at UMES from 2002 until her recommended termination last year, accused UMES leadership of favoring African American staff over white employees. Saterlee also alleged that Anderson plagiarized portions of her 1986 doctoral dissertation.
“Defendants acted under the color of the law … denied due process and meaningful opportunities to respond, concocted egregious lies and abused processes to intimidate and coerce Plaintiff,” Satterlee’s complaint states.
Anderson, who has led UMES since 2018, vehemently denied the allegations and has now filed her own lawsuit against Satterlee, accusing her of defamation and seeking $1 million in damages.
“I stayed quiet for as long as I could,” Anderson said. “There’s no plagiarism here. It’s an attack on me and my character and all of us at the university. I needed to take a stand.”
Satterlee previously said she used the plagiarism-detection service Turnitin, which she claims showed about 26 percent similarity in Anderson’s dissertation.
Board of Regents Chair Tina Wilson defended Anderson, calling the allegations part of a “disturbing trend.”
“Two lawsuits alleging discrimination and a reckless, anonymous accusation sent to the media attempting to undermine Dr. Anderson’s academic credentials are emblematic of that trend,” Wilson said in a statement.
Both lawsuits are expected to move forward in court this week.
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