Suit Alleges Bias at Cal State Fullerton

Six current or former Cal State Fullerton employees sued the university this week, saying they had been discriminated against because of their Latino ethnicity.

Two associate deans with doctorates, three clerks and a student assistant are plaintiffs.

The alleged discrimination includes demotions, unfair discipline, lack of promotions, poor evaluations, harassment and a firing.

The suit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court is the latest against the university. In recent years Cal State Fullerton has settled or lost three sexual harassment lawsuits, and a related suit is pending.

The plaintiffs in the latest case worked in the student affairs division, which since 1997 has been overseen by Robert Palmer, vice president of student affairs.

“If you ever make a complaint under Palmer’s regime, you get retaliated against,” said Keith Walden, the plaintiffs’ attorney. “I’m quite convinced that discrimination is occurring, and it’s occurring because they’re Hispanic. These people are in all different kinds of jobs in all different [levels]. One thing in common is that they’re Hispanic.”

Cal State University system lawyers would not comment, saying they had not seen the suit.

Palmer denied there was discrimination. “I’m proud of the diversity within the division,” he said. “That lawsuit has no basis in my opinion.”

No individuals are named as defendants, and the suit does not ask for a specific dollar figure.

The two associate deans have left Cal State Fullerton but found jobs elsewhere, Walden said. According to the suit, Michael Suarez was fired in February 2001 after working at Fullerton for 16 months. He now works at USC.

Rebecca Chavez was associate dean of student life for about 3 1/2 years. According to the suit, she left Fullerton because of discrimination. Her problems worsened after she told administrators that Suarez was fired because he was Latino, according to the suit. She now works at UC Berkeley.

“They’re getting better jobs, with more responsibilities,” Walden said. “These are quality people, but they’re being maligned as incompetent or ineffective in their jobs.”

Sam Rodriguez, a graduate student who works as a student assistant in admissions and records, says in the suit that he was demoted because he complained to the university about discrimination and other problems and provided information to The Times.

A university investigation found Rodriguez’s reassignment was not a demotion.

It also found that Chuck Moore, supervisor of the Enrollment Management and University Outreach unit, “did make comments that were perceived to be anti-Latino but these comments are not indicative of his actual hiring record.”

The lawsuit says the investigation was a whitewash.