In a gripping legal battle, a PhD candidate is taking on her prestigious university and several of its staff members, alleging severe misconduct and retaliation following her report of sexual assault. On November 25, 2024, Judith Santano filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Tulane University and several individuals associated with the institution.
The lawsuit, filed by Santano, accuses Tulane University and its Board, along with professors Jordan Karubian, Erica Woodley, Marcus Foster, Tiffany Smith, Hannah Frank, Sunshine Van Bael, and others yet to be identified (Does 1-20), of retaliating against her after she reported being sexually assaulted during a research program in Ecuador. The complaint outlines violations under Title VII and Title IX regarding retaliation and negligence claims under state law. Santano alleges that after reporting the assault by an FCAT staff member named Beto Gonzalez in June 2022, she faced significant backlash from faculty members at Tulane who were aware of her situation.
Santano's journey began when she was conducting avian ecology research in Ecuador as part of her doctoral studies at Tulane. After reporting sexual harassment and assault incidents to Dr. Jordan Karubian—her advisor and a senior professor at Tulane—she claims he failed to act promptly or appropriately. Instead of receiving support from the university's administration or protective measures required under Title IX policies, Santano was allegedly subjected to further mistreatment. She states that Dr. Karubian delayed forwarding her report to the university’s Title IX office for months and subsequently retaliated by terminating her from his advisory group without due process.
The lawsuit describes how this termination has severely impacted Santano's academic career and mental health. Her inability to continue research at FCAT has limited her professional opportunities significantly—a critical setback for someone engaged in specialized ecological studies where fieldwork is paramount. The complaint also highlights systemic issues within FCAT’s culture that perpetuated harassment and created an unsafe environment for researchers like Santano.
In response to these allegations, Santano seeks compensatory damages for emotional distress, loss of educational opportunities, economic injuries as well as punitive damages aimed at deterring similar conduct by other institutions. Additionally, she demands injunctive relief requiring Tulane University to implement better practices ensuring compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
Representing Judith Santano are attorneys Hope Phelps from Most And Associates based in New Orleans alongside Aaron B. Zisser from Zisser Law Office located in San Jose. The case is being heard before judges in the Eastern District Court under Case ID: 24-2748.