A former faculty member of Washington State University Vancouver has sued the university alleging that he was discriminated against, harassed and retaliated against because of his Iranian background and Muslim faith.
In his civil rights complaint, Hamid Sarraf said he was hired as a research associate faculty member in the Department of Engineering and Computer Sciences in August 2012 on a one-year contract.
Sarraf said when he refused to comply with a request from his supervisor to be named as a co-author on his research, he was bullied about his national origin of Iran and being a Muslim.
“(The supervisor) wildly argue (sic) to plaintiff that all members of hiring committee were bias (sic) and disagree (sic) to hire plaintiff because he is coming from a problematic country Iran and being a Muslim,” Sarraf, who is acting as his own attorney, wrote in the complaint.
Sarraf said he complained about the supervisor’s behavior to the head of the department, who told Sarraf to comply with his supervisor’s requests.
He said other members of the department, including a secretary and her manager, also harassed him on the basis of his national origin and religion.
He said on Sept. 11, 2012, the secretary approached him and “interrogated him” about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“She questioned whether plaintiff was a Muslim and whether he was a terrorist,” Sarraf wrote.
Sarraf said he disclosed the alleged harassment and other behavior by his colleagues to WSU Vancouver’s Human Resources Department and filed a complaint with the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Instead of investigating the allegations, Sarraf alleged, WSU Vancouver management retaliated against him, calling him a “liar” and threatening to fire him if his complaints weren’t proven.
He said he was banned from the campus and forced to work from home. Management later elected not to renew his contract, he said.
He then filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission dismissed the complaint because it was “unable to conclude that the information obtained establishes violations of the statutes.” The commission noted that the finding doesn’t mean that WSU Vancouver is in compliance with the laws.
Brenda Alling, spokeswoman for WSU Vancouver, said that the university’s policy is not to discuss active litigation.
“We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do our very best to provide a safe and diverse work environment and learning environment for our faculty, staff and students,” she said.
Sarraf could not be reached for comment on this story. A phone number he listed in court records was no longer in service.
The lawsuit was filed March 20 in Clark County Superior Court. No court hearings have been scheduled.
