Opinion ID: 766743
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Affidavit of Lawrence Mamiya

Text: 68 Bickerstaff also submitted the affidavit of Professor Lawrence Mamiya, who chaired the AS Committee that reviewed Bickerstaff for promotion. Mamiya opined that Bickerstaff is in every way qualified for the promotion to Full Professor of Africana Studies and the Department of Education according to promotion criteria as outlined in the Faculty Handbook. His affidavit further stated that: It is my opinion that the reason Joyce Bickerstaff was turned down for promotion to full professor is on account of race and the prejudice against her based on attitudes about African Americans at Vassar. 69 We have previously held that [t]o satisfy Rule 56(e), affidavits must be based upon 'concrete particulars,' not conclusory allegations. Schwapp v. Town of Avon, 118 F.3d 106, 111 (2d Cir. 1997) (quoting Meiri v. Dacon, 759 F.2d 989, 998 (2d Cir. 1985)); Bellsouth Telecomms., Inc. v. W.R. Grace & Co., 77 F.3d 603, 615 (2d Cir. 1996). The problem with Mamiya's affidavit is that it contains no concrete particulars. While his affidavit informs us that he has known Bickerstaff for more than 20 years as a colleague in the Africana Studies Program at Vassar, Mamiya fails to offer a single act, statement, or admission by any Vassar decision maker or decision making entity--or by anyone else at Vassar for that matter--to support his allegation that Bickerstaff was denied promotion to full professor because of her race. Thus, the district court properly disregarded Mamiya's allegations of race animus as conclusory. 70 Mamiya's affidavit is also notable for what it does not contain. His affidavit does not assert that the CEQs were tainted by race; he does not retract his Committee's statements concerning Bickerstaff's teaching that there was a pattern of decline in [her CEQs], which became more precipitous in the last two years; and he does not contradict Vassar's assertion that CEQs are the chief evaluative instrument employed by Vassar to assess teaching.