A former professor at Harris-Stowe State University alleges that she was discriminated against by university leadership, retaliated against when she complained, and even had things thrown at her during meetings in the latter part of her 24 years at the institution.
Beverly Buck Brennan, who is the daughter of Jack Buck and sister of Joe Buck, began working at Harris-Stowe in 1993 as an instructor of theater classes and eventually became the director of the university’s speech and theater program.
It was a job she has expressed passion for in depositions. However, Brennan’s lawsuit claims, things changed around 2010 when new leadership arrived at the school, specifically Lateef Adelani, who became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dwayne Smith, who became the school’s provost for academic affairs. Smith and Adelani are the named defendants in a lawsuit just getting underway today in St. Louis Circuit Court, along with Harris-Stowe itself. Brennan alleges discrimination based on race and sex, as well as retaliation.
In his opening statement on behalf of Brennan, attorney Nicholas Dudley said that Harris-Stowe, a historically Black university, had a “noble mission,” but the school used that mission to conceal its mistreatment of Brennan.
Dudley stated that Brennan was a popular professor whose classes always had good enrollment. However, under the new leadership, Brennan’s theater classes were scheduled less frequently and in worse locations on campus. The budget for her courses was also slashed. Dudley mentioned that, as this occurred, members of the university leadership team referred to Black male faculty members as “my brother” and “my son” while “shouting down” Brennan and other women.
Dudley added that as the trial progresses, the jury will hear testimony from witnesses who will say that school leadership attempted to align Brennan’s colleagues against her by asking them, “Are you with them or with us?” When these colleagues inquired who “them” referred to, they were told “white teachers.”
Brennan left the school in June 2017.
The university is being represented by numerous lawyers, including former appellate judge Booker Shaw, now with Thompson Coburn. Shaw’s colleague Nick Lamb gave opening arguments on behalf of the university.
“There was no discrimination. There was no harassment,” Lamb said, adding that the source of Brennan’s discontent was her unhappiness when, in December 2015, a position as the chair of the school’s humanities department was given to someone else.
Lamb argued that instead of being discriminated against, the school actually allowed Brennan to take off the Spring 2017 semester while still being paid.
“Brennan had a really good job,” Lamb said.
Opening arguments lasted about an hour this morning. The trial is supposed to wrap up this week.
In 2015, a jury awarded a white professor a $5 million judgment after she filed a discrimination against Harris-Stowe.
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