On October 17, 2001, a Jewish professor at St. Cloud State University ("SCSU") in Minnesota filed a lawsuit under both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et. seq., and the Minnesota Human Rights Act ("MHRA"), Minn. Stat. § 363.01 et. seq. against the Minnesota State College and University System in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The plaintiff, represented by private counsel, asked the court for remedial and monetary relief, alleging routine anti-Semitic discrimination at SCSU. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged a pattern and practice of discrimination with respect to hiring, promotion, scheduling, and retention of Jewish faculty.

On January 17, 2002, the defendant filed a motion for summary judgment. On April 10, 2002, the court (Judge Joan E. Lancaster) granted in part, and denied in part, the defendant's motion. Plaintiff's individual claim for retaliation under Title VII, as alleged in Count III of the amended complaint, was dismissed with prejudice; in all other respects, the defendant's motion was denied.

On December 5, 2002, the court (Judge Lancaster) provisionally certified the class. The plaintiffs represented a class of two subgroups: the first included all past and present Jewish faculty members and all Jewish persons who had applied for employment at SCSU. The second included all faculty and students (both Jewish and non-Jewish) who had been retaliated against for opposing and objecting to the defendant's illegal discriminatory practices and/or petitioning the government for redress of grievances.

On February 10, 2003, the court (Judge Lancaster) issued an Order Approving Class Action Settlement. The agreement provided for remedial and monetary relief, consisting of implementing a variety of changes relating to its training, notification and anti-discrimination policies, as well as the establishment of a Jewish Studies and Resource Center. SCSU also agreed to pay the sum of $50,000 to the non-excluding members of the settlement class, and an additional $265,000 between the three named Plaintiffs. Further details of the distribution are specified in the Settlement Agreement (41).

Nathaniel Koslof - 04/10/2008


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