White Woman Sues U Of Wisconsin, Claims She Lost Diversity Job Due To Her Race

A white woman is suing the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, claiming that she was forced to resign from her position as head of the Diversity Office due to her race.

Rochelle Hoffman, 36, alleges that she was discriminated against because she is white. Hoffman had recently been promoted as the interim director of the Multicultural Student Services office when she was forced to resign.

Minority students and faculty reportedly complained about Hoffman’s appointment because she is white. They raised concerns with the former Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Student Affairs, Olga Diaz. According to Hoffman’s lawsuit, students and faculty claimed that they “didn’t want white people overseeing spaces intended to serve students of color.” During an open forum, a student even questioned whether white staff could effectively perform the same job as a person of color within a space for people of color.

Hoffman’s lawsuit claims that “It was exclusively Hoffman’s identity as white that was the issue; criticism was about her race and color, not her qualifications.” According to Hoffman, she had exceeded her role’s expectations before being forced to resign.

In addition to seeking compensation for loss of wages, Hoffman is also seeking damages for “psychological injury, emotional distress, loss of reputation, career damage, and attorney fees and costs.” She claims that she was forced to resign solely because of her race.

Students also reportedly stated that they did not want white people in the Multicultural Student Services office and that heritage months were for students of color only. The students supposedly wanted Diaz to promise that she would hire people of color to fill the positions previously held by people of color, and preferably with the same profile to maintain an affinity-based approach.