Howard University is being sued by a white student for racial discrimination after being expelled from the school, reports The Hill.
Michael Ray Newman, the plaintiff in the suit who in the fall of 2020 was enrolled at the Howard University School of Law after having received a $26,250 annual scholarship, was expelled in September 2022 following several infractions.
Filed on February 16 in the Superior Court of D.C., the $2 million lawsuit claims that Newman experienced “emotional, mental and economic harm” that eventually caused “depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts” because of “public ostracism, vilification and humiliation.”
Per the suit, Newman alleges that he was harassed by his Black classmates after stating in a group chat that Black people “believe government solves problems, I only see it causing problems.” After sharing his views on another occasion, he claimed that his Black classmates “conspired to seek his expulsion.”
Also in the suit, Newman alleged that a university administrator said that he was “the most hated student” he’s ever seen since his time at Howard.
According to the administration, Newman was expelled after numerous offenses including using the university’s Listserv to send disturbing emails to the Howard community. When Newman appealed his expulsion, it was later upheld by the Howard administration.
In a statement given to The New York Post, Frank Tramble, who serves as vice president and chief communications officer for Howard, noted that the school is “prepared to vigorously defend itself in this lawsuit as the claims provide a one-sided and self-serving narrative of the events leading to the end of the student’s enrollment at the University.”
Trample also added that Newman’s recollection of his time at Howard was not a truthful account, stating that the former Howard student attempted to exploit the death of a law student to “further his views on COVID-19 and the vaccines.”
He argued that Newman was expelled from the school for “disruptive and harassing conduct” and not because of racial discrimination.
