Ex-director files suit against UA

Mikelle Omari, a University of Arizona art professor and adviser to the African American Student Alliance, said her complaint has been validated by an employee rights advocacy group and that the fight is ongoing.

"The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) did find cause of discrimination at the federal level," she said in an interview last month. "I have a lawsuit going on."

In 1996, Omari was replaced by the current acting director, Julian Kunnie.

The problems began when Omari became director of the Africana studies program and tried to increase its academic scope, she said.

She said she wanted to build the program to department status so it could offer master's and doctoral degrees.

But Omari said Charles Tatum, dean of the UA humanities college, did not want to make changes to the program.

"He (Tatum) wanted someone in there who did not want the program to grow," Omari said. "I wanted to make it more professional."

Tatum said he wants to hire more people to work in the program.

"We need to hire two new faculty members," he said.

Tatum also said he "appointed Dr. Omari to build a program."

Kunnie said the program is flourishing and will soon offer a major and achieve official departmental status thanks to his efforts.

Kunnie would not elaborate on Omari's removal, calling it an "administrative decision."

A dispute over a staffer's absences from work played a part in her removal, Omari said yesterday.

She said she was reassigned in part because she requested an explanation as to why Eleanor Navarro, an Africana studies administrative assistant, missed work days.

"It wasn't anything out of the ordinary," Omari said. "I should have been talked to or given a warning."

Omari was removed with full support from Africana studies faculty members including Kunnie and professors Ikenna Dieke and Lansana Keita, Tatum said.

"All three of them demanded that I remove Dr. Omari," Tatum said last week. "With the full consent of Drs. Dieke and Keita, I appointed Kunnie to the directorship."

Last week, Keita and Dieke both said due process was not followed during Omari's removal, and Dieke said he wouldn't mind if Omari were reinstated as director.

"I think she may come back and Kunnie will be thrown out very soon," he said.

Tatum said Dieke will not get his wish.

"It's not going to happen," he said.

Prior to the decision to reassign Omari, Keita said he and some faculty members were "having some problems with Omari and the way she was treating an assistant."

But Keita said Tatum chose to reassign the previous director.

"The decision to remove Omari was not our decision," Keita said.

While Tatum would not comment on Omari's personnel issues, he said she was removed from the directorship and "administratively reassigned at full pay."

Omari said the UA has tried to "buy her out" so that she will not pursue the complaint.

"If they don't reinstate me, there will have to be a court case," she said.

David J. Cieslak can be reached via e-mail at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.