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Rachel Dawson, former executive director of the University of Michigan Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives<\/a>, filed a lawsuit<\/a> against the University Monday for alleged racial and gender discrimination during her termination process. The lawsuit, submitted through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan<\/a>, claims Dawson\u2019s termination violated Title VI <\/a>and VII <\/a>of the Civil Rights Act of 1964<\/a>. According to the lawsuit, Dawson also intends to simultaneously file suit in the Michigan Court of Claims<\/a> for violations of her constitutional rights to free speech and due process.<\/p>\n Dawson, a Black woman, was fired<\/a> in December 2024 following a report that she allegedly made antisemitic remarks at an academic diversity conference in March 2024, where she did not speak on behalf of nor represent the University.<\/p>\n According to the lawsuit, two conference attendees filed complaints against Dawson with the Anti-Defamation League<\/a>, claiming she said Jewish people have \u201cno genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel\u201d and that the University was \u201ccontrolled by wealthy Jews.\u201d The University then hired Covington & Burling LLP<\/a>, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, to investigate the allegations. Covington & Burling also provides legal services for the ADL.<\/p>\n In her lawsuit, Dawson claims these allegations were false and exaggerated. The lawsuit stated that the two individuals approached Dawson by discussing rumors of antisemitism on the U-M campus and repeatedly asked her questions, prompting her to share her views on the Israeli military campaign<\/a> in Gaza.<\/p>\n