A tenured white professor at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the historically Black university of race‑based discrimination and wrongful termination. Donna Satterlee, who taught human ecology and child development for over two decades, claims she was denied promotion and then terminated for reasons she says were rooted in racial bias.
Satterlee’s complaint, filed in July 2025, alleges harassment, disparate treatment, and a pattern of anti‑white bias within UMES’ administration. She alleges that university leadership placed a “preference for African‑Americans in hiring of faculty and staff” while exhibiting “marked bias against Caucasian and Asian citizens.”
Key allegations include claims that Satterlee received unanimous departmental support for promotion, but the university denied advancement despite a rating of 82.2 out of 100 (with 70 required). She asserts that Black faculty with comparable or lesser credentials received higher pay and more favorable treatment.
The lawsuit further states that after she raised concerns about the unequal treatment and workplace conditions — including mold in her office and sticky classroom floors purportedly unattended for her — UMES initiated a termination investigation based on vague “bullying” allegations made by her chair. Satterlee calls the investigation violative of tenure due‑process protections.
Satterlee seeks reinstatement as a full professor, punitive damages, and a court order compelling UMES to revise its equal employment opportunity policies to ensure all employees are treated fairly regardless of race.
