A Black psychology professor at Los Angeles Southwest College who alleges she was retaliated against because she spoke out about gender and racial discrimination is urging a judge to allow the trial of her lawsuit against the Los Angeles Community College District.
However, the college’s former president, Seher Awan — the daughter of immigrants from Africa and Kuwait — says in a sworn declaration in support of the district’s motion to dismiss plaintiff Sandra Lee’s case that she was not part of a backlash against Lee and disputes, among other things, Lee’s contention that she cancelled the plaintiff’s class.
The LACCD’s motion is scheduled to be heard Aug. 28 by Judge Jerrold Abeles. In her own declaration, Lee , who sued in December 2023, says Awan “did everything she could to undermine my effectiveness. It affected my ability to perform my job.”
In addition to the alleged hostile atmosphere and negativity from Awan, the president tried to block every attempt Lee made to expand her opportunities at LACCD, Lee contends.
“When I would call her on it or challenge her on it, she would claim, `It was a mistake,”’ according to Lee. “This was extremely discouraging to me.”
Lee says she enjoys helping faculty and teaching students.
“However, I was torn between giving up and leaving to protect my mental state and abandoning all of the people there who needed someone to protect them,” Lee further says. “I stayed so that the faculty and staff continued to have a voice to call LACCD on their illegal practices.”
Lee states that when she expressed interest in the honors program, established to help place students from community college to a four-year institution, a school vice president told Lee Awan wanted the position filled by “anyone but Lee,” according to the plaintiff.
Fourteen days after Awan received notice that the plaintiff had filed complaints in December 2020, Awan omitted psychology/addiction studies department from the consortium grant approval list for which it had already been approved, according to Lee.
“The timing of it immediately after she received the notice of investigation explains that it was retaliatory,” according to Lee, who adds Awan reinstated the program after the plaintiff subsequently complained.
Awan thereafter became hostile to Lee and disrespectful to her in meetings and regularly used a four-letter word when talking in general during the sessions, Lee alleges. The plaintiff also contends Awan told her in 2019, “We don’t have to sit around braiding each other’s hair but we do have to work together.”
Seher’s father was born in Kenya and her mother in Kuwait. In her declaration, she says the braiding comment was “part of a broader message emphasizing professionalism in the workplace and to have faculty work collaboratively despite personal differences. This comment was not intended to reference any racial or gender-based stereotype.”
Seher further says she was not responsible for the honors program appointment and that she does not recall Lee seeking the job. She further says she did not intentionally leave the psychology/addiction Studies program off the list of awardees for the consortium grant and that she later “corrected the oversight.”
Seher says she was not Lee’s supervisor and did not have responsibility for evaluating or managing her work. Seher further says she did not have the authority to fire or demote Lee or do anything to affect the plaintiff’s employment. Seher says she resigned in May 2022 and took the job of president of Mission College in Santa Clara after being informed of the open position there by a former mentor.