NEW ORLEANS – An African-American employee has filed suit against a university over alleged discriminatory treatment.
Irma Stephens filed a complaint on May 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against the board of supervisors of the University of Louisiana System alleging discrimination.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that she has suffered mental anguish and emotional distress, loss of esteem and a damaged reputation. The plaintiff holds the board of supervisors of the University of Louisiana System responsible because the defendants' employee, Joan Gunter, a Caucasian employee, allegedly created a conflict between her and another Caucasian co-worker in 2014, and Gunter also harassed the plaintiff for no apparent reason by yelling at her, isolating her, stripping away job duties from her and discouraging her to file a grievance.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury, an order for compensatory and punitive damages, plus interest, attorneys' fees and costs and such other relief as the court deems necessary and proper. She is represented by J. Arthur Smith III of Smith Law Firm in Baton Rouge.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-06885