ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON – A former professor who spent almost 13 years at Bard College, is suing the private liberal arts college with accusations of systemic racism and sexual harassment. The case is currently in the federal court system under the caption of Jane Doe vs. Bard College.
The ex-professor publicly identifies herself as a lesbian woman of color. The complaint contains numerous unverified allegations. The woman says that racism was noticed during her employment interview on September 15, 2008, when Bard President Leon Botstein noted rampant racism at the school, telling the professor, “There is a tremendous amount of hostility toward black people here at Bard.”
The former professor, represented by several groups including the Strategic Advocacy Clinic of Yale Law School, says after being hired, she spent the next dozen years attempting to protect students and herself from an environment at Bard so racist that she could only describe it as a scenario from the racial horror film “Get Out.” The Director of the Strategic Advocacy Clinic of Yale Law School, Avery Gilbert, is also listed as one of the attorneys representing the terminated educator.
The professor claims that she repeatedly notified the administration of specific accounts of racism and sexual harassment and all of the complaints went unanswered.
The woman seeking a ruling in her favor said she was the subject of a “year-and-a-half sham investigation” as retaliation for her efforts to bring the instances of racism to light on the campus, which led to her termination on March 3, 2021.
Bard College, located in Northern Dutchess County, denounced the lawsuit in a response to Mid-Hudson News. Noting that it is uncommon for the college to comment on pending litigation, the college issued a statement to Mid-Hudson News saying, “Bard College does not generally comment on pending cases, but the allegations in this complaint are so outrageous that they require a response,” adding “The complaint filed against Bard has no merit, and the College will defend itself and our colleagues against these baseless claims in court.”
The college is taking exception to several aspects of the lawsuit, including the claim of a “sham investigation.” The school stated, “The plaintiff was terminated for cause after a thorough, independent investigation initiated in response to complaints made to the College by students, and has made provably false statements in this complaint.”
The Bard statement also said, “As an institution, the College believes in the importance of facts, transparency, and the rules of evidence. We want to push back on the terrifyingly successful exploitation of falsehoods in public life. While we appreciate that any citizen has a right to seek redress in the courts, we will not be held hostage to salacious, unfounded claims. We look forward to refuting these allegations through the legal process.”
The lawsuit against the college can be found here.
