ORLANDO - The former Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Communications and Marketing of the University of Central Florida sued the university for alleged race-based discrimination and harassment.
According to documents filed on March 25 in the Orange County Circuit Court, plaintiff Briant Coleman is a Black man and worked in his Associate VP role with the university until his termination in October 2019.
Coleman says that UCF treated him differently because of his race. The university allegedly offered more lenient employment conditions and standards to Coleman's Caucasian colleagues.
The plaintiff says he was subjected to multiple unsubstantiated internal investigations that were initiated only because of his race, and was denied attorney representation in the university's interrogations in the investigations, in violation of Equal Employment Opportunity policy.
The university is accused of retaliating to Coleman's more than 20 formal complaints of racial discrimination. Coleman alleges that his superior told him outright that he was being terminated because he was Black and gay and not liked by the staff, which was discussed in a meeting of all Caucasian women.
UCF is charged with racial discrimination, for which Coleman wants at least $100,000 in damages. He is represented by Reshad D. Favors of Washington, D.C.