CHARLESTON – The former library director for West Virginia State University says she was a victim of racial discrimination.
Willette Stinson filed her complaint October 12 in Kanawha Circuit Court against WVSU, a historically Black institution located in Institute.
According to the complaint, Stinson was hired as WVSU’s library director in 2013. Stinson, who is Black, says she faithfully performed her duties during her tenure.
On October 28, 2021, she says she was given a letter by J. Paige Carney saying she had been terminated. It was signed by Carney and Rob Wallace, both who are white and were in interim positions with WVSU.
“Said termination occurred without any prior substantive personnel evaluations and was a termination based in part on the plaintiff’s race,” the complaint states. “The plaintiff was not given any notice before her termination.”
When the position of library director was posted in October 2022, Stinson says she applied for the job. But she says she wasn’t interviewed even though she was qualified for the position. She says the job was filled by a less qualified applicant outside of her protected class.
Stinson accuses WVSU’s actions violated the West Virginia Human Rights Act, and she says she has suffered lost employment, lost opportunities, lost opportunities for advancement, retirement investments, lost wages, lost benefits, mental injuries, physical anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, front pay and other benefits.
She seeks a retroactive assignment to the position of library director or a comparable position with an appropriate pay and benefits adjustment, back wages, front pay including overtime compensation and benefits, pre-judgment interests, court costs, attorney fees and other relief. She also seeks an order enjoining WVSU from discrimination and/or retaliation or reprisal against her as well as forcing the school to develop hiring and promotion procedures that do have an adverse impact on Blacks.
Stinson is being represented by Dwight J. Staples and Gail Henderson-Staples of Henderson Henderson & Staples in Huntington. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carrie Webster.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 23-C-911
