Published July 08. 2021 11:22PM
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) A former University of Rhode Island professor has sued the school, alleging he was fired as retaliation for challenging the lack of diversity in the school’s leadership and encouraging students to speak out against systemic racism.
The federal suit filed by former political science professor Louis Kwame Fosu names the school, the board of trustees, outgoing President David Dooley and several other administrators as defendants, The Providence Journal reported Thursday.
The university violated Fosu s free-speech rights by retaliating against him for advocating for “diversity, justice and inclusion at URI,” according to the suit.
Fired Black professor sues URI, says school s diversity record abysmal
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Ex-professor alleges retaliation in lawsuit against URI
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GoLocalProv | URI Professor Who Accused University of Racism Files Federal Lawsuit Following Firing
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Professor Fosu and President Dooley
A professor at the University of Rhode Island is accusing the school of “Jim Crow” racism and officials are calling his statements unwarranted, unsubstantiated, and defamatory personal attacks.
GoLocal obtained a series of emails showing URI Professor Louis Fosu asking school officials to meet with students in his course Topics in Political Science: Examining Institutional Power, Checks & Balances, and Advocacy for a More Equitable Society regarding complaints and demands as presented in a twenty-one-page Declaration of Diversity.
Fosu, who has a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center, M.B.A. from Pace University, and B.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, came to URI in 2019, after having served as a special adviser to U.S. and African government officials.