Lawsuit: First, 14th amendments violated by Penn State Extension School

(The Center Square) – First and 14th amendments were violated by the Penn State University Extension School because of “DEI-focused criteria and compelled DEI narratives, rather than merit” in the denial of an employee’s promotion, says a lawsuit filed Thursday.

In U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Dr. Molly Kelly says she was twice denied promotion to Extension Educator Level 5 “not because of any deficiency in her professional performance, but because she failed to demonstrate sufficient ideological commitment to the university’s prescribed DEI orthodoxy.”

DEI is an acronym representing diversity, equity and inclusion.

“The university was not neutrally assessing Dr. Kelly’s professional competence,” the lawsuit says in part. “It was policing her thoughts – demanding not just participation in DEI activities, but evidence of genuine ideological conversion.”

Relief is sought to have the defendants remove diversity requirements from employment benefits ...