Opinion ID: 2997825
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dean Moss’s Role

Text: It is undisputed that Dean Moss personally never saw Dr. Prabhakar engage in any of the discriminatory acts alleged by Dr. Nanda. Dr. Prabhakar, however, could not have fired Dr. Nanda without Dean Moss’s approval. As a result, Dean Moss is at the center of the controversy surrounding Dr. Prabhakar’s recommendation as the only person in position to ensure the propriety of Dr. Prabhakar’s recommendation and with the authority to reject Dr. Prabhakar’s recommendation if there was evidence of impropriety. On July 7, 1998, several faculty members sent a letter to Dr. Prabhakar challenging his decision to recommend a terminal contract for Dr. Nanda. The letter asserted that “no substantive scientific or academic grounds for [his] decision [existed],” and suggested that “[g]iven the context of the personality differences between you and Dr. Nanda, this dismissal could be construed as a gender based action.” 4 No. 04-1641 The faculty members further stated that “[t]he absence of a stated cause for this action suggests that no clear justification can be made.” Around July 10, 1998, Dean Moss met with a subset of the authorship who told Dean Moss directly that they believed the terminal contract was unjust and perhaps based on Dr. Nanda’s gender. Dean Moss reportedly conceded in this meeting that he knew it was wrong to issue Dr. Nanda a terminal contract without prior faculty input, nonetheless he urged Dr. Nanda’s colleagues to support the decision. On July 10, 1998, Dr. Nanda sent a letter to Vice Dean Charles Rice, M.D., with a copy sent to Dean Moss, disputing her termination and stating her strong belief that “a significant part of [the] decision [to terminate my employment] is based on gender related issues and factors.” Around this same time, Dr. Nanda met with Dean Moss and reiterated these sentiments, as well as her belief that ethnicity was also a factor in the terminal contract decision. On July 13, 1998, Dr. Nanda wrote to the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee of the UIC Faculty Senate (“AFTC”), asserting that the terminal contract constituted a denial of her right to academic freedom, and copies of the letter were sent to Dean Moss and Dr. Prabhakar. On July 24, 1998, the chairman of the AFTC, Dr. Eugene F. Woods, met with Dr. Prabhakar and asked him the reason for his terminal contract recommendation. According to Dr. Woods, Dr. Prabhakar first stated that there was no reason for his recommendation, but then said he wanted to take the Department in a new research direction. On July 24, 1998, Dr. Prabhakar met with the Department faculty concerning Dr. Nanda’s termination. According to minutes from the meeting, Dr. Prabhakar acknowledged that he made the decision to recommend a terminal contract for Dr. Nanda “unilaterally,” explaining that he chose not to seek approval from the Faculty AdviNo. 04-1641 5 sory Committee because he believed that the committee would not agree with his recommendation. One week later on July 31, 1998, the Faculty Advisory Committee sent Dr. Prabhakar a memorandum asking him to reverse the terminal contract recommendation. Around this same time, Dr. Woods met with Dean Moss to discuss Dr. Nanda’s terminal contract recommendation. According to Dr. Woods, Dean Moss first told him that he had been advised by counsel not to give Dr. Nanda a reason for the terminal contract, but then told Dr. Woods that her research did not fit Dr. Prabhakar’s vision for the Department. Ultimately, the AFTC concluded that Dr. Nanda’s terminal contract had been issued without due process and constituted a denial of her academic freedom. In the AFTC’s view, contrary to Dr. Prabhakar’s assessment, Dr. Nanda’s research was an excellent fit for the direction of the Department. Dean Moss also had knowledge, during this time, of another woman in the Department, Dr. Amy Kenter who, similar to Dr. Nanda, was experiencing problems with Dr. Prabhakar.2 On July 8, 1998, Dr. Kenter met with Dean Moss and advised him of the problems she was having with Dr. Prabhakar regarding her lab space. She also noted to Dean Moss that Dr. Nanda had similar problems with Dr. Prabhakar and suggested that gender may have played a role in his decision to issue Dr. Nanda a terminal contract. On July 21, 1998, Dr. Kenter made a formal harassment complaint to Dean Moss regarding her interactions with Dr. Prabhakar over lab issues. A week later on July 27, 1998, Dr. Kenter’s attorney wrote to Dean Moss contending that Dr. Prabhakar had discriminated against Dr. Kenter on the 2 Dr. Nanda and Dr. Kenter were the only two active female research scientists in the Department. 6 No. 04-1641 basis of her gender. Nothing in the record indicates that Dean Moss did anything in response to Dr. Kenter’s complaints. Sometime between July 1 and August 31, 1998, Dean Moss informed the Provost, Elizabeth Hoffman, Ph.D., that Dr. Nanda should receive a terminal contract. Provost Hoffman only spoke about the terminal contract recommendation with Dean Moss, and testified in a deposition that Dean Moss told her that the faculty had met and voted to uphold the recommendation in August 1998.