You can go to our
Newsletters
.
Or search for a word here:
Whistleblower's Testimony Results in Retaliation
Compiled by Editorial staff
Professor Richard Brahm 'blew the whistle' on his
boss's unlawful, racially discriminatory conduct and lost his
job.
* Spring 1988
Professor Richard Brahm and Dean Dennis Aigner
began employment at the University of California Irvine.
For six years, Aigner was highly supportive of Brahm's
performance in merit reviews.
* Spring 1991
During a private conversation, Aigner made
discriminating remarks to Brahm about African American male,
Professor
Waymond
Rodgers, and Asian female, Professor Joanna Ho. Brahm reported
the remarks to both professors and offered to testify if it became
necessary. Aigner nominated Brahm for a prestigious national
award.
* January 1994
Aigner met with Brahm for a performance review and
informed
him that he was 'on track' for a successful tenure promotion
review, due to begin in the fall.
* February 1994
Aigner nominated Brahm for the UCI Distinguished Junior
Faculty Teaching Award.
* July-October 1994
Aigner submitted a discriminatory evaluation for
professor Joanna Ho's tenure file and informed her that she
would be denied tenure. Ho told Brahm, who agreed to provide
testimony about Aigner's prior discriminatory remarks.
Ho complained to UCI administration protesting
Aigner's discrimination, alerting Aigner to Brahm's pending
testimony in support of Professor Rodger's racial
discrimination lawsuit.
Seven tenured faculty wrote a letter to the UCI Administration
informing them that they believed Aigner used a double standard in
evaluating Ho's case. Brahm met with the UCI Acting Executive Vice
Chancellor to report Aigner's discriminatory acts.
* October 1994
Aigner began retaliating against Brahm including attempting
to sabotage Brahm's tenure promotion.
* March-June 1995
Brahm protested Aigner's violations. Aigner
continued retaliatory actions, leaving a message threatening
to solicit a damning late review for Brahm's tenure file.
Aigner followed
through with the threat.
* June 1995
Two Associate Deans submitted reports to Chancellor
Laurel Wilkening and Vice Chancellor Golub informing them of
substantial unfairness and misconduct during Brahm's tenure
review. Chancellors protected Aigner.
* June 1996
Chancellor denied Brahm's tenure and terminated him,
effective July 1997.
* September 1998
OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs) US Department of Labor found that UCI violated it's
obligation to the government having discriminated and
retaliated against Professor Waymond Rodgers in their
harassment, job assignment and denial of raises.
Professor Brahm filed suit against UCI for breech of
contract and wrongful termination.
Dean Aigner stated he was unaware of the lawsuit. 'The
University investigated the allegations and decided that they were
not supported, so I don't have any other comments beyond that,' he
said.
-wage@wage.org-