Jackson State University students are fearful that a pending discrimination lawsuit will adversely affect students, faculty and recruitment opportunities in the future.

Judith Meredith, wife of civil rights activist James Meredith, recently filed a sex and age discrimination lawsuit against JSU in federal court in Jackson, Miss. Her husband was the first African-American to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962.

Personal photo

Judith Meredith

According to a press release from Meredith's attorney, Evelyn Tatum Portie, Meredith "has more than 25 years experience in broadcasting journalism as a television anchor, reporter and producer." She added, "It’s a sad day when Jackson State University, an institution which arose as a result of discrimination and in an effort to combat discrimination, allows and condones the practice of discrimination.”
 
Several attempts were made to contact the Office of Accountability, Office of the President and JSU’s Office of Media Relations for comments, but no calls were returned. A JSU representative said the university doesn't comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit states that during the spring 2007 semester, Dean made sexually discriminatory remarks to Meredith, calling her a “redbone” in the presence of her peers and co-workers. On another occasion, Dean is accused of articulating his dislike for “strong women.” These actions were "discriminatory, humiliating and disgraceful," Meredith states in her complaint.

Meredith, a former news reporter and anchor, was employed by JSU in 1994 to develop an FCC-licensed TV station to provide training for mass communications students as well as a full-service television operation.

In her suit, Meredith lists her accomplishments at Jackson State. Under her leadership, she says TV23 finalized a $3 million deal that allowed the station to broadcast to Hinds, Rankin and parts of Madison County at no additional cost to the university.  She also points out that she negotiated an agreement with the cable network Black Family Channel, which resulted in TV23 being allowed to broadcast its programs at no cost, a deal which would have cost JSU approximately $100,000 annually. The complaint also says she obtained about $4 million in grants to expand the station's operations and provide job opportunities for students.

“I am shocked and disgusted that a woman with Judy’s credentials and experience, who is almost solely responsible for this tremendous asset Jackson State has been given, has been treated in such an illegal, shameless and unethical manner,” Portie said.

Members of the student body expressed similar sentiments after the allegations were reported by local media.

“I did not know any of this was happening at our school, but it saddens me that it had to result [in] this,” said Andross Milteer, a junior biology pre-med major from Long Beach, Calif., who has worked closely with Mason in the Division of Student Life.

Milteer said he believes "it should have been reviewed and handled within the university before it became a public problem.”

He said when he heard about the lawsuit, he was surprised because he didn’t expect this kind of incident to happen during a time when the university is involved in positive activities.  “As a student, I feel it puts us in the negative spotlight once again,” said Milteer. “Incidents like this overshadow the positive things that faculty and students are doing at JSU like students studying in Taiwan and Spain and professors making remarkable advances in research.”  Maquial Williams, a sophomore vocal performance major from Atlanta, said he wished Dean, Mason and Meredith would have come to some sort of agreement before the situation became so negative.

Antoine Lee, a recent graduate of JSU, thinks the students and the school will ultimately suffer from these allegations. 
“I think that this situation will affect the school tremendously because it will be a factor as far as recruitment -- and economically,” Lee said.   Some students are upset because this is not the first allegation against Dean. He was the center of a 2007 sexual harassment suit filed by former office manager Kushauntia Jones. That complaint has been settled, according to court documents.

“It definitely makes me wonder, what type of [employees] we have working for us,” said Rashaad Riley, a sophomore chemistry major from Grenada, Miss. “It’s something that you hear about all the time, but you never think it can happen here, especially at an HBCU where equality is a major principle.”

Riley said he is "embarrassed and outraged" because this happened at an HBCU. He feels this scandal negatively affects the students who attend JSU.

“Scandals are something that you hear about, but you never imagine it happening at your own school, until it actually does. It is a slap in the face to equality and HBCU’s altogether because it is a scandal amongst our people at our University where we are supposed to be working to better ourselves and our community,” Riley said. “This is a step back from the true goals of HBCUs.” 

Vickey Wiliams is a student at Jackson State University and a contributor to Black College Wire.