A white student who attended Howard University School of Law is suing the institution for racial discrimination. Michael Newman claims that the school created a “hostile education environment” that led to his expulsion in September 2022. Newman is seeking $2 million in monetary damages for “pain, suffering, emotional anguish and damage to his reputation.”
Frank Tramble, Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for Howard University, stated that the university “is prepared to vigorously defend itself in this lawsuit as the claims provide a one-sided and self-serving narrative of the events leading to the end of the student’s enrollment at the University.”
Newman alleges that he suffered “depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts” due to “public ostracism, vilification and humiliation.” The lawsuit claims that Global Head of Diversity Recruiting Reggie McGahee told Newman he had become the most hated student during his tenure at the university.
Newman had raised concerns about his treatment to school administrators. However, the law school’s dean allegedly denied that Caucasian students at Howard Law, and Newman, in particular, faced racial discrimination to any degree.
Following discussions of Newman’s purported racial insensitivity, students learned of a tweet from Newman’s private Twitter account. Newman claimed the tweet was mocking commentators who “attempt to explain away videos of police brutality by claiming the victim must have committed wrongdoing before the video started.” Students allegedly responded with references to his race, gender, sexual preference, age, and personal appearance.
Newman describes feeling “utterly disenfranchised” at the school and compared himself to a black student at a primarily white university. The student response was again largely negative, with some calling his comment “offensive,” he claimed.
Newman repeatedly apologized for offending anyone, stressing he was seeking to “learn, not just law, but to learn the thoughts and experiences of people of color,” the lawsuit stated.
Newman allegedly faced more overt hostility, with many students starting to refer to him as “mayo king” (a perceived reference to his race) and “white panther,” and students claimed that “controversies” that they blamed on Newman had caused “severe stress” and “distracted them from their studies.”
School of Law Dean Danielle Holley later secretly recorded a Zoom meeting she called with Newman and McGahee, during which she suggested Newman transfer to another school, accusing him of racially harassing classmates, according to the allegations.
Holley and Newman wound up filing simultaneous complaints, with Holley accusing Newman of “continual harassment of member [sic] of the Howard Law community, and disturbance of the learning environment at the School of Law.” At the same time, Newman claimed Holley had perpetuated “threats,” “discrimination” and a “hostile academic environment.”
In a panel reviewing Holley’s complaint, the school determined that Newman was “responsible” and ruled that he should be expelled. To his knowledge, Newman’s complaint was never adjudicated, the suit claimed.
Newman appealed the ruling, but a second review panel allegedly reached the same conclusion despite the revelation that Holley had supplied the first panel with evidence that Newman never saw, which he argued amounted to “secret evidence.”
Newman’s lawyers will try to prove the school broke its contract with Newman, a student who attended on a scholarship, after a series of incidents and accusations led to multiple review panels and hearings that resulted in his expulsion, according to the lawsuit. The attorneys representing Newman filed the suit in federal court.
»White student sues Howard University for $2M over racial discrimination«
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