The chancellor of UW-Eau Claire is accused in a new lawsuit of racial discrimination and retaliation.
EAU CLAIRE (WQOW) - The chancellor of UW-Eau Claire is accused in a new lawsuit of racial discrimination and retaliation.
The federal lawsuit is filed by Olga Diaz, the former Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Student Affairs, against Chancellor Jim Schmidt.
Diaz worked at UW-Eau Claire from June 2021 to November 2022. According to court documents, she received a positive job performance review in June 2022 from Chancellor Schmidt.
Earlier that year in January, Diaz had appointed Rochelle Hoffman to the position of interim director of new Office of Multicultural Student Services. The lawsuit states that Hoffman, who is white, was qualified for the job but was met with a hostile work environment due to her race.
As we've reported, Hoffman filed a discrimination complaint. Diaz supported Hoffman, the new lawsuit says, and was interviewed during the complaint investigation.
The lawsuit states that on Sept. 26, 2022, Chancellor Schmidt asked Diaz to resign from the university, saying she was a distraction and allegedly lost support of her team.
"The actions of defendant Schmidt as described above were taken in wanton, willful and/or reckless disregard of the plaintiff’s federally protected rights thereby entitling plaintiff to an award of punitive damages against defendant Schmidt," the lawsuit states.
This is not the only federal lawsuit filed against Schmidt. In December, Hoffman filed a similar complaint. The Universities of Wisconsin responded to that lawsuit denying the allegations against them. They argued Hoffman's injuries and/or damages, if any, were caused of the actions of persons over whom the defendants had no responsibility or control.