Disabled professor says Kansas State University discriminated against him, is seeking $75,000
A professor at Kansas State University alleged in a federal lawsuit filed Friday that his department discriminated against him because of a disability.
Sanjoy Das is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the university. He suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, a federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination, granted Das the right to sue in April, according to court documents. He also previously complained to the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education.
Das requested reasonable work accommodations as allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but was denied, he alleged in court documents. He claimed the denial of accommodations and retaliation he experienced for complaining about discrimination led to a new anxiety disorder diagnosis and work-related stress.
At one point, a department head did agree to grant one request for accommodation: reminders of upcoming meetings. However, the department head only did so occasionally, Das alleged in court records, so he formally complained to university administration in 2019.
All other requests for reasonable accommodations were “unnecessarily and incorrectly denied” by the university, according to court records.
Das had asked for accommodations such as playing tapes of lectures while present in class and permission to attend department meetings virtually. He also requested the assistance of a graduate teaching assistant.
In most cases, those accommodations had been granted to other faculty members who do not have a disability, according to court records.
Das also alleged the university denied him promotion despite the fact that he has higher qualifications than other faculty members who have been promoted.
As a result, he filed complaints according to university policies. Since then, Das’ performance evaluations have trended lower despite his belief that his performance “remained at a steady, if not increased level.”
The university continued its “harassment and discrimination” against Das, according to court records. He requested partial funding for travel to attend an international conference that invited Das to present a research article. Das claimed a large portion of the expense would have been covered by funding in an account that was set aside for him but controlled by the university.
After alleged delays and denials, Das could not obtain funding in time to register for the conference.
He is seeking more than $75,000 in diminished earnings, personal suffering and injury and other damages.
