MU settles former med school leader’s lawsuit for $1.565 million

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -

The University of Missouri paid a former medical school leader $1.565 million to settle her lawsuit over age discrimination.

ABC 17 News obtained a copy of the settlement through an open records request. The settlement gives Dr. Rachel Brown $788,741.69 in lost wages and emotional damages following her ouster at the medical school in 2016.

Brown sued the school in 2017 for race and age discrimination. Brown, who is white, claimed medical school leaders, including former dean Dr. Patrice Delafontaine, forced her out of her role as associate dean for student programs. She claimed leaders increasingly ignored her on in discussions of recruiting a more diverse medical school student body and handling reports of student mistreatment. The school replaced her with Dr. Laine Young-Walker, a younger Black woman.

A judge agreed to dismiss the case on Wednesday.

Brown dropped her racial discrimination claim in January, and settled the case based on her claims of age discrimination and retaliation. The settlement limited what Brown can say about the case, and required her to not disparage the university of other employees of it.

The settlement also includes $776,258.31 for Brown's attorney, Paul H. Gardner.