Warren Swindell applied to work at the University several times beginning in 2002, but he was never hired.
Swindell, 73, said he thinks it is because he is too old.
After being turned down for the job as the director of the African American Cultural Center in February 2007, Swindell filed a lawsuit in April suing the University and the Office of Multicultural Affairs for age discrimination.
In the complaint filed by Swindell, he said he was informed by Chaunda Allen, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, that the position he applied for as the director of the AACC had been filled by a “person whose age, name and credentials are unknown.”
The Daily Reveille was unable to contact Allen after several attempts.
Swindell said this was not the first time this has happened to him.
Swindell said he first applied for an administrative position in graduate studies and was turned down in favor of someone who had no experience in a university and had not earned a doctorate.
“I have applied to fill at least two or three vacancies in the Multicultural Center,” Swindell said. “A person who did not match my academic credentials or experience filled the vacancy each time.”
Swindell said he has received a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree in music education.
“I’ve been an administrator for 26 years – over a music department and an African-American studies department,” Swindell said. “I have a record of achievement in African studies.”
Two months after he filed the complaint, Swindell withdrew the lawsuit.
“The lawsuit was so expensive that I decided I was going to try to contact the administration and find out their criteria for employment,” Swindell said. “I just didn’t want to go through all of that if there was another way of trying to get justice.”
Swindell said he contacted Katrice Albert, vice provost of Equity, Diversity and Community Outreach, before he filed the lawsuit.
After several contact attempts failed, Swindell visited Albert in her office and left a message with her secretary.
“That evening, Dr. Albert called me at home and severely upbraided me for having the audacity to visit her office,” Swindell said. “She yelled that I was never to visit her office again.”
Albert told The Daily Reveille she was not allowed to comment on personnel issues dealing with the University.
The lawsuit is not Swindell’s first attempt to find answers.
Swindell went through both the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Each time, he was turned away.
LCHR told Swindell that one state entity could not run an investigation on another. EEOC, the federal agency who handles a majority of employment discrimination cases in the nation, told Swindell that they were understaffed and could not handle another case.
After all other doors closed on Swindell, he filed the lawsuit.
Swindell said the lawsuit is based on the University’s failure to follow the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law and the Employment Act of 1967.
Swindell said he dropped the lawsuit because he applied for those positions before the current administration was in place.
Judge James Brady, the residing judge in Swindell’s suit, signed an order June 16 dismissing his case under Swindell’s recommendation.
He said he plans to write to the administration, and if the employment policies of the University are followed, he will accept the decisions they make.
Swindell said if the University’s employment policies were not followed, he will file another lawsuit.
“One should not accept oppression without a protest,” Swindell said. “As long as people who feel as though they are victims don’t stand up, then justice will never be addressed.”
—-Contact J.J. Alcantara at [email protected]