A new lawsuit against TCU accuses the university of discriminating against a Mexican-American employee during her employment and her termination.
Linda Lopez received excellent employee reviews during her more-than-13-year tenure at TCU, where she worked in the university advancement department, the lawsuit states.
A supervisor once described Lopez as a 鈥渞ock star,鈥� but her employee reviews took a sudden negative turn after she went on leave to recover from health issues, including a bout of meningitis, according to the lawsuit.
鈥淎mong other unwarranted criticisms, the review chastised Lopez for taking time for bereavement leave to comfort her children whose father died,鈥� the lawsuit says.
Lopez鈥檚 supervisor started judging her unfairly compared to her white peers, and after she brought her concerns to the university, twice, Lopez was told she was being laid off, according to the lawsuit. It adds that Lopez's duties then went to a less experienced white employee.
Discrimination is part of the wider culture at TCU, where Hispanic people at all levels are 鈥渋nvisible,鈥� Lopez said in an interview with 四虎影院.
"TCU's just not diverse, and it needs to get better,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t could be such a great school if the climate changed.鈥�
The lawsuit, filed on March 8, seeks to compensate Lopez for her lost wages and emotional suffering. The lawsuit also points out that Lopez lost available to the children of TCU employees, something Lopez鈥檚 son hoped to take advantage of.
鈥淚 mean, that was the whole reason I was working at TCU in the first place, in hopes that one of my children would eventually go to TCU,鈥� she said.
In a statement, a TCU spokesperson said the university does not comment on legal or personnel matters.
鈥淲e can share that consistent with our internal practice, TCU engaged an outside investigator through our Office of Institutional Equity to review the employee鈥檚 claims. The outside firm did not find any instances of illegal discrimination,鈥� the statement said.
Lopez鈥檚 lawsuit is one of multiple discrimination lawsuits filed against TCU in recent years. Five Black women sued TCU for discrimination and settled with the university last year,. Another Hispanic employee and also settled, court records show.
Outside of the courts, members of the TCU community have called on the university to improve the way it treats faculty, staff and students of color. In 2020, students , and more than 100 faculty and staff members against racism and gender discrimination.
"We want to affirm that students of color and students of other marginalized backgrounds HAVE and ARE being underserved and undervalued at TCU. It is not just in your head,鈥� the letter states.
As for Linda Lopez, who once held TCU football season tickets, the school now leaves her with 鈥渁n ugly, sick feeling.鈥�
"TCU鈥檚 been a part of my life for as long as I can remember," she said. 鈥淣ow I cringe if I have to even go near TCU."
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter @MirandaRSuarez.
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