Athletics staffer files
racial bias lawsuit
By Ken Fountain
Daily Cougar Staff
A UH Athletics Department staff member
filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in Houston federal court Friday claiming
that he was passed over for a promotion because he is black.
Alexander Brown has served as the department's
academic coordinator for excellence in its Student Athlete Support division
since 1994. According to the suit, he applied for the
position as associate athletics director
(the position directly superior to his) in July 2000.
The lawsuit states that Brown met all the
qualifications for the position and was one of three candiMonday, August
6, 2001s whose names were presented to a selection committee.
The job description states that "the strongest
consideration" would be given to candiMonday, August 6, 2001s "who have
experience as the primary or lead administrator in the field
for greater than five years."
The suit states that Athletics Director
Chet Gladchuk, who made the final decision, hired Claudia Schleyer for
the job. Schleyer, who is white, had previously served as an assistant
basketball coach.
"(Schleyer) had never held a position whose
primary responsibility was to provide student support services," the suit
states. "After (Schleyer) was selected for the position, she
frequently contacted (Brown) for instructions
on how to perform the duties assigned for the position."
The suit was filed late Friday afternoon.
Gladchuk (who is not named as a defendant) was out of town and could not
be reached for comment. The University maintains a policy of
not commenting on pending litigation.
Brown told The Daily Cougar on Sunday that,
on the advice of his attorney, he could not discuss the lawsuit. Joseph
Ahmad, a Houston attorney who specializes in employment law
and who represents several other plaintiffs
who have sued the University, represents Brown.
Brown's lawsuit is the second in less than
a year that alleges racial discrimination on the part of Gladchuk. In December,
former associate athletics director Christopher Bahl filed a
suit claiming that he was fired for opposing
Gladchuk's discriminatory practices in the hiring of a new head football
coach. Bahl claimed that when he recommended
African-Americans for the position, Gladchuk
told him that he would never hire a black head football coach.
When Bahl's lawsuit was filed, Gladchuk
told Breaking News, the winter break edition of The Daily Cougar, that
he had "an impeccable record" for diversity throughout his career as
an athletic director, noting that he had
hired the first black head basketball coaches at Tulane University and
Boston College, and that three of the six current head coaches at UH
are black.
Brown's lawsuit alleges violations of Title
VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It asks for actual damages of lost pay,
pension and other benefits, unspecified compensatory and punitive
damages, attorney's fees and other legal
costs.
