HARRISBURG — A former associate professor is suing Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, alleging discrimination he says prevented him from earning tenure.
Srinivas Nowduri, of Toronto, filed a lawsuit Feb. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, alleging violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and Equal Protection violation.
According to the complaint, Nowduri is a former associate professor beginning his employment Nov. 17, 2008, at Bloomsburg. The plaintiff previously filed an EEOC charge against the defendant May 7, 2013, in response to the defendant’s accusations that Nowduri had manipulated his teaching evaluations.
Nowduri alleges he sought to have the original evaluations sent to a handwriting expert but was rebuffed by the defendant’s own counsel. As a result of the incident, Nowduri says he was denied the possibility of tenure.
The plaintiff also says he was pretextually denied tenure on the basis of his race and national origin, violating his civil rights.
Nowduri seeks prohibition of the defendant’s discrimination, compensatory damages (back pay, front pay, salary, benefits, promotions), actual damages, punitive damages, costs, litigation fees and a trial by jury. He is represented by attorneys Timothy M. Kolman, Wayne A. Ely and W. Charles Sipio of Kolman Ely PC in Penndel.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Case number 4:16-cv-00317-MWB