A civil lawsuit has been filed against Cornell College, including employees Ilene Crawford, Jackie Wilson and former professor Jim White.
Associate Professor of Philosophy Megan Altman filed a sex discrimination complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission May 6, 2024, within the 300-day limitation period from the last discriminatory act. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission issued a right-to sue letter on Nov. 18, 2024. Altman is represented by Roxanne Conlin and Associates P.C.
Altman, who filed the lawsuit on Dec. 16, 2024, was hired as an assistant professor of philosophy for the college, and promoted to associate professor of philosophy in 2023. She also serves as chair of the philosophy department.
Altman had requested for an opportunity to work a remote winter in Europe in October 2022, which was approved by Genevieve Migelt, the chair of the philosophy department at Cornell College at that time.
Jim White, a former professor of philosophy at Cornell College, attempted to deny the request for working remotely in the winter semester, noting he would miss Altman during that time.
According to the lawsuit, that began a number of White’s non-professional conversations and harassment of Altman that stretched from May 2023 through September 2023 – which led to Altman filing a Title IX complaint and contacting human resources to resolve the matter.
Cornell College did not comment on the matter due to the matter involving personnel matters and the pending litigation.
Altman also received a no-contact order against White Sept. 26, 2023, which stipulated neither party would access Prall House, where both White and Altman’s offices were located, if the other person were to be present.
White decided to move out of his office on Nov. 7, 2023, and Altman was allowed to return to hers in Prall House.
White filed his own Title IX complaint against Altman in November 2023.
Altman was informed White would drop the Title IX complaint against her if she dropped her own claim.
Altman discussed another complaint against White for acting against her in retaliation on Nov. 30, 2023. She was encouraged to drop her Title IX charges and accept an informal offer of resolution at that point, but the original Title IX case did move forward.
The Title IX case continued moving forward in February 2024, but Altman’s representation in the matter was out of state on the dates that the case would be happening, and Altman reaching out to Wilson, Crawford and others to postpone until her representative was present did not stop the item advancing. White requested an informal resolution Feb. 16, 2024, and the request was immediately granted by Wilson.
Wilson asked Altman to participate in the informal resolution, saying if “you go the formal route, then it’s out of my hands and you could be found guilty of sexual misconduct. Jim could be found not responsible. And he would be right back in Prall House and there is nothing the college could do about that.”
On Feb. 29, 2024, the informal resolution was delayed while Wilson found an external, neutral party to mediate the process.”
Altman then withdrew her Title IX claim and proceeded to file a claim with the ICRC.