White Law Student Sues Historically Black College for $2M in Racial Discrimination Case
White Law Student Files $2M Lawsuit Against Howard University, Alleges Racial Discrimination
Howard University campus in Washington D.C.
A former white student at Howard University's School of Law has filed a $2 million lawsuit against the historically black institution, alleging racial discrimination and a hostile educational environment. Michael Newman attended the school from the fall semester of 2020 to September 2022 when he was expelled. Newman claims that he was publicly ostracized, vilified, and humiliated by school administrators and other students, leading to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
The lawsuit alleges that Newman faced negative responses from other students after asking if further dialogue could be had on Black voters not questioning the government for solutions. Newman was removed from one of his group chats for the class, and students called his comment 'offensive.' Students began to refer to him as "mayo king" and "white panther," and blamed Newman for controversies that led to severe stress and distraction from studies.
Newman then sent out a four-part letter to explain his views, but the effort was labeled a "manifesto." He was removed from a second class-wide group chat, and the school's dean secretly recorded a Zoom meeting where she suggested Newman transfer to another school, accusing him of racially harassing classmates. The head of diversity recruitment, Reggie McGahee, is alleged to have told Newman how he had become "the most hated" student McGahee had seen during his tenure at the university.
Legal Issues
The lawsuit filed by Michael Newman against Howard University School of Law raises several legal issues related to racial discrimination and a hostile education environment.
One of the primary legal issues at stake is whether Newman's treatment at the law school constitutes racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is prohibited by federal law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by any institution that receives federal funding. Newman's lawsuit alleges that he was subjected to discrimination by school administrators and other students based on his race, which caused him emotional distress and damage to his reputation.
Another legal issue is whether Newman's treatment at the law school created a hostile education environment. A hostile education environment occurs when a student is subjected to severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment that interferes with their ability to learn. A hostile education environment can be created by both school administrators and other students. Newman's lawsuit alleges that he was subjected to harassment by other students, including being publicly ostracized, vilified, and humiliated, which interfered with his ability to learn and caused him to suffer from depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
A third legal issue is whether Newman's expulsion from the law school was justified. The lawsuit alleges that Newman was expelled as a result of the incidents of racial discrimination and hostility that he experienced, and that the expulsion violated his contractual rights. Newman's lawyers will need to prove that the school breached its contractual obligations to Newman and that the string of incidents and subsequent review panels ultimately led to his expulsion.
Overall, the lawsuit raises complex legal issues related to discrimination, harassment, and contractual obligations that will need to be carefully evaluated by the court.