LU discrimination suit follows multiple similar allegations
A former human resources director at Lincoln University is suing the college for discrimination after his dismissal in October.
Jim Marcantonio was in the position since 2000, and claimed in a 14-page petition filed Friday that the discrimination began in 2013, when former university president Dr. Kevin Rome began his tenure leading the university.
This lawsuit comes after Dr. Annette Digby, the former vice president of academic affairs, sued the university in 2016 claiming that she was forced to resign in 2011 because she is white.
The lawsuit ended with a hung jury in 2016, and was scheduled to be re-tried in 2017, although online court records show the case was dismissed by the court with prejudice.
ABC 17 News has requested information Monday on the case’s resolution from Lincoln University and is waiting for a response.
Digby’s lawsuit came after another by former LU employee Kenneth Ferguson, alleging that age was a factor in his 2012 dismissal.
A court of appeals evenutally upheld the lower courts ruling that found the university had discriminated against Ferguson, and ordered LU to pay the former employee $104,901.
Marcantonio’s complaint alleges that Rome’s administration routinely saw white employees recieve raises and promotions far less frequently than African American employees, a trend that continued under interim president Mike Middleton and the current university president, Dr. Jerald Woolfolk.
One instance outlined in the complaint was the hiring of Rolundus Rice as diversity officer, to whom the university paid a salary of $75,000 and transfered Marcantonio’s duties as Affirmative Action Officer.
“Rice had no background in employement law, repeatedly violated university policies (if not the law) in his guidance and hiring practices, and openly expressed his beliefs that white employees were adversly impacting the hiring of black faculty and stated there were too many white employees at Lincoln University,” the petition said.
A phone converstation with the Meyers Law Firm, which is representing Marcantonio, abruptly ended when an employee advised an ABC 17 News reporter to “call again in a few days.”
Dr. Kevin Rome’s office at Fisk Univesrity declined to comment Monday on Marcantonio’s lawsuit.
ABC 17 News contacted Lincoln University for a statement Friday night. A university spokeswoman said the university does not have a comment on pending litigation.
