Contact the experienced employment law attorneys at Maya Murphy, P.C. today at (203) 221-3100 or JMaya@Mayalaw.com.

A Wesleyan University professor has filed a federal lawsuit against the school, alleging administrators mishandled an investigation into complaints of sexual harassment she made against a dean.

In the lawsuit, classical studies Associate Professor Lauren Caldwell claims discrimination and retaliation. The suit says that from 2012 to 2014, Professor Andrew Curran made sexual and "overly personal" comments to her and had physical contact with her that made her feel uncomfortable.

At the time, Curran was the dean of arts and humanities at Wesleyan and Caldwell's faculty mentor. He is now the William Armstrong professor of the humanities. Curran declined to comment Friday.

Caldwell approached the school's Title IX coordinator, who handles sexual harassment complaints, in 2013, and after a brief consultation she decided not to file a formal complaint but instead would try to handle the situation by addressing it with Curran, the lawsuit says. After bringing her concerns to Curran, a pattern of retaliation and discrimination began, the lawsuit says.

In a statement, Wesleyan said: "The University is aware of the action commenced by Professor Caldwell and the various claims made therein. Professor Caldwell has received tenure at Wesleyan and the University has investigated her complaints. Wesleyan believes that the lawsuit is without merit and it intends to defend itself vigorously."

Caldwell filed complaints with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Both agencies released jurisdiction in early February, and the lawsuit was filed Feb. 17.

Wesleyan is the only defendant in the lawsuit.

In the 49-page complaint, Caldwell says Curran withdrew his support when she was applying for a fellowship, revoked her position of liaison to junior faculty, and reassigned her to report to a different dean. Caldwell met with the new dean, Joyce Jacobsen, to discuss the sexual harassment, and Jacobsen warned her against filing a formal complaint and defended Curran, the suit says.

In April 2014, Caldwell filed a written complaint with Jacobsen, and, the lawsuit alleges, numerous instances of intimidation, discrimination and retaliation ensued.

"The Plaintiff's written complaint, dated April 21, 2014, explained clearly that the salient issue for the Plaintiff was that she was made to fear for her future professional career with [Wesleyan] as a result of Dean Curran's radical shift in behavior toward her, which she said appeared to have been precipitated by her expressing her discomfort with the inappropriate dynamic of their working relationship," the complaint says.

The complaint says an investigation by the vice president for equity and inclusion, Antonio Farias, found "that Dean Curran 'lacked boundaries of professional decorum in both e-mail and personal messaging, including body dynamics and off campus events' and that Dean Curran was in need of counseling and refresher training."

Farias "did not conclude that Dean Curran's conduct fit the definition of sexual harassment or retaliation," the lawsuit says.

Caldwell received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2004. She became a professor at Wesleyan in 2006 and was approved for tenure in March 2015.

Caldwell is being represented by Heena Kapadia, an attorney in Hamden.

If you feel you have been mistreated by your employer or in your place of employment and would like to explore your employment law options, contact the experienced employment law attorneys today at 203-221-3100, or by email at JMaya@mayalaw.com. We have the experience and knowledge you need at this critical juncture. We serve clients in both New York and Connecticut including New Canaan, Bridgeport, White Plains, and Darien.

For continuous access to the legal world, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. We offer the latest updates on caselaw and legal news. In addition, informational videos are available for your convenience on our YouTube channel. 

Source: Shawn R. Beals, Professor Sues Wesleyan; Alleges University Mishandled her Sexual Harassment Complaint, Hartford Courant (March 5, 2016) at B1