Milwaukee Area Technical College’s DEI officer is suing the institution.
Eva Martinez Powless took on her newly created role at the Milwaukee, WI-based institution in 2021. Her immediate course of action was to launch a five-year diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plan, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The plan began rolling out in 2022 and was shared with the African American Network, the Anti-Racism Coalition, and the Latinx United Network Alliance (LUNA).
Despite these efforts, she claims there was still pushback surrounding DEI efforts on the campus. She alleges that her former manager, Phillip King, the executive vice president of student success at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), had displayed “unprofessional” and “inappropriate” behavior after she voiced observing patterns of misconduct towards employees of color, per the outlet.
Martinez Powless claims that she was subsequently excluded from important meetings, King scrutinized her work more closely, and he and other members frequently referred to her by the name of another Latina staff member.
In October 2023, she filed a discrimination and harassment claim against King, and he countered it with a sexual orientation and age discrimination complaint, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The school hired a law firm that was unable to validate either party’s claims around discrimination. However, the law firm did find evidence supporting King’s statements that Martinez Powless had been disrespectful and “insubordinate,” the outlet shared.
She later issued another complaint against King and MATC Chief Human Resources Officer Elle Bonds-Jones, accusing them of unfair treatment of an Afro-Latina employee who was seeking a disability-related work request.
By April 2024, the company had fired Martinez Powless.
Eight months later, she is now moving forward with a federal lawsuit against the school.
“Sadly, MATC wanted Dr. Martinez Powless to sit quietly and comply with orders instead of meaningfully engaging to make MATC a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment,” Martinez Powless’ attorney, Summer Murshid of Hawks Quindel, mentioned to the outlet.
Martinez Powless commented: “I am one of many victims of what I believe is a discriminatory culture that has been allowed to perpetuate at MATC, but I cannot stand by and allow it to continue without demanding accountability. That is why I filed this case. Something must change.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had previously spoken with Martinez Powless and 11 other employees in 2024 who also flagged complaints about discrimination, harassment, pay equity, cultural insensitivity, and verbal intimidation, among other things.
Jenny Wayd, one of the school’s library technicians, said she had “applied 60 times” for a promotion and full-time roles but was rejected.
“Despite my qualifications, my experience and my dedication, I have faced an ongoing challenge of discrimination,” Wayd explained.
MATC spokesperson Darryll Fortune claims the school allocated over half of promotions and full-time roles in the past year to employees of color.
The school also has reportedly implemented “restorative practices” to hear “diverse perspectives through community conversations and listening.”
Stephen Millet, co-chair of the African American Network, had concerns about the treatment of Black and Latino employees. He said, “While your response referenced restorative justice, we have yet to see any concrete acknowledgment of our lived experience or the suffering endured.”
This lack of acknowledgment could be why Martinez Powless filed her federal lawsuit.
“I want to be an example for our communities that this stuff does happen, and when it happens, you have to push back,” she expressed.
