A University of Arizona member has accused the school of giving her an unfair treatment due to her color.
Candace Feldman, who is an arts programming director, tendered her resignation claiming unfair compensation, discrimination and flourishing culture of racism.
In a letter addressed to university President Robert Robbins, Feldman described her experience as a woman of color.
“My experience, although my own, is not unique in its nature nor am I alone in the discriminatory inequities that exist as a woman of color employed by the University of Arizona,” she wrote, according to The Arizona Daily Star.
“One can only conclude that these practices are ingrained in the culture of this institution and supported by the university administration you inherited,” the letter said.
She has also alleged senior university staff of passing racist comments on her.
The resignation follows two months after Feldman filed charges with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Civil Rights Division and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the discriminatory practices at the university.
The university spokesperson Chris Sigurdson, while taking note of the allegations, has ensured a proper review.
“We take these allegations very seriously and the University has a number of trained staff, reporting venues and pathways for resolving concerns employees have about their employment,” Sigurdson told The Arizona Daily Star in an email.
“That includes keeping those processes confidential, which is in the best interest of the people affected,” he further wrote.
Meanwhile, Feldman has now decided to file a federal lawsuit against the university.
