SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — An ex-San Francisco State University administrator who was in charge of investigating discrimination claims filed a lawsuit this week claiming she was discriminated against.
The school’s former Title IX coordinator, Heather Borlase, is accusing SFSU of harboring a “culture of cover-up,” as well as firing Borlase for doing her job and whistleblowing.
The suit contends that when she was hired in 2021, Borlase inherited over 400 cases that were “undocumented and, potentially, still open and unresolved” at the university.
Borlase claims she learned that the Title IX office had, prior to her hiring, received additional discrimination, harassment, and retaliation reports that were never opened as cases. The victims “potentially never received any response whatsoever from the university,” her attorneys wrote.
The lawsuit details how Borlase created a plan to address discrimination, harassment, and retaliation complaints. “Ms. Borlase took her role seriously,” the lawsuit states.
According to the suit, when SFSU officials learned of Borlase’s plan, they were more interested in covering up the issues, as well as avoiding negative press.
“Ms. Borlase objected to the failure of San Francisco State to address hundreds of student, faculty, and staff complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation,” said attorney Wendy Musell. “She insisted that timely, and fair investigations take place. In response, SF State publicly fired her.”
One of the cases that Borlase investigated involved a professor who showed a drawing of the prophet Muhammad to Muslim students. Visual depictions of Muhammad are considered offensive to many Muslims.
Borlase claims the school’s president and vice chancellor told her that the professor’s actions were protected under academic freedom and asked her to drop the issue. Borlase believed that a probe was important to determine if the professor was guilty of religious harassment.
“An independent, thorough and timely investigation process is critical to effective enforcement of Title IX,” said Katherine Smith, an attorney from the Law Offices of Wendy Musell. “SF State’s failure to timely respond to student and staff complaints, its interference with the integrity of investigations, and scapegoating and terminating Ms. Borlase cannot be condoned. SF State is more concerned with its public image than actually fostering a campus that is free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation.”
Borlase was terminated from her job last summer, the suit states.
When asked about the new lawsuit, SFSU Director of Communications Bobby King said the university made a “leadership change” in response to a state audit.
King told KRON4 Thursday, “SF State takes seriously its responsibility to provide students and employees a safe learning and working environment. As part of that, we are addressing the issues which were noted during a systemwide review by Cozen O’Connor Institutional Response Group, as well as the results of the state audit. The University is working to address these issues with input from constituents across the campus. During the course of this work, it was determined that different leadership was needed to lead the effort. The leadership change was not driven by any attempt to determine an outcome.”
The lawsuit is seeking compensation and damages for whistleblower retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
