Ethnicity reason behind educator's termination, lawsuit alleges

GALVESTON - An educator alleges a local community college terminated him because he is Bangladeshi American, according to recent court papers.

A lawsuit filed Dec. 2 in the Galveston District of the Southern District of Texas claims the College of the Mainland discriminated against Manzurul Khan until his supposed dismissal in late April 2012. 

COM hired Khan as an adjunct in 2003.

He achieved full-time status five years later, and at the time of the events in question, served as an assistant professor in the defendant's business and computer technologies department.

The plaintiff shows that the school gave him a notice of nonrenewal on April 30, 2012, though he "occupied the position of tenure track, full-time faculty member."

According to the suit, he learned he was the lone tenured track faculty member not retained and those who were possessed less qualifications and experience.

COM's administration apparently had no reason to terminate the claimant, the original petition says.

It further states the respondent is currently using two temporary full-time faculty members to teach Khan's former courses, contending it does not have a full-time faculty member on staff as required by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for Computer Networking Program.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Anthony P. Griffin of A Griffin Lawyers in Galveston is representing the claimant.

Case No. 3:13-CV-436