Mohankumar v. Kansas State University

60 F. Supp. 2d 1153, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13170, 1999 WL 640040
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedMay 13, 1999
Docket97-1199-WEB, 98-1174-WEB
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 60 F. Supp. 2d 1153 (Mohankumar v. Kansas State University) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mohankumar v. Kansas State University, 60 F. Supp. 2d 1153, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13170, 1999 WL 640040 (D. Kan. 1999).

Opinion

Memorandum and Order

WESLEY E. BROWN, Senior District Judge.

Plaintiff Sheba M.J. MohanKumar, a native of India, graduated with a Ph.D. degree from Kansas State University in December of 1996. She taught several classes at KSU while obtaining her degree. After graduating, she was hired by KSU as a post-doctorate fellow. In this consolidated action, plaintiff alleges that the defendants engaged in unlawful employment discrimination against her on account of sex and national origin in violation of Title VII and 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983. 1 The matter is now before the court on the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. The court finds oral argument would not assist in deciding the issues presented.

I. Facts.

Plaintiff is a 33-years old female native of India who came to Kansas State University in 1990 with the equivalent of a doc *1156 torate of veterinary medicine (DVM) to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry.

In 1991, plaintiff transferred to and successfully completed a master’s program in Biochemistry. In April 1992, plaintiff was accepted as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She began her graduate studies in August of 1992. Upon admission to the graduate school, the Associate Dean indicated on an Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) form that plaintiff was expected to complete her studies not later than August 31,1998.

At all times relevant to this suit, Dr. Jon Dunn was the Department Head of Anatomy and Physiology.

When plaintiff was accepted into the doctoral program in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology, she was offered a graduate research assistantship, which provided a stipend in the amount of $18,-000 per year. The offer was conditioned upon plaintiff teaching one semester for each academic year of support received. Although plaintiff contends the offer stated that her stipend would be renewed annually, in fact it said only that this was “typically” done. Plaintiff accepted the graduate research assistantship.

Only graduate students in good academic standing are eligible to receive a graduate assistantship and accompanying stipend support. Graduate students who receive stipends are not entitled to retirement benefits, vacation or sick leave. Social security is not withheld from stipends. At the time plaintiff was a graduate student, graduate assistants were not eligible for group health insurance benefits, although that policy has since changed.

Plaintiffs W-2 forms for the time in question listed her as an “employee” and the State of Kansas as her “employer.”

To be paid by the University, plaintiff was required to perform teaching services. Teaching and research services are performed by graduate students on a “four-tenths” part-time basis. The selection of graduate students who receive stipends and the funding source of stipends are determined by the department. Stipends are funded by state monies or by grant monies and may be renewed annually.

Plaintiff received a graduate stipend for the four and one-half years she was a graduate student in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology, from August 1992 until December 1996. After graduation, she was no longer eligible to receive a stipend.

As early as January 1992, the departmental faculty discussed limiting the duration of stipends to four years. A memo from Dr. Dunn containing guidelines for amounts and duration of stipends, which was said to have been worked out by the Graduate Executive Committee and Dr. Dunn, was distributed to the faculty in December of 1992. Dr. Dunn noted in the memo as an additional caveat that “departmental support for graduate stipends will be limited to 5 years for an entering BS and 4 years for an entering DVM.” In May 1995 the departmental faculty adopted these guidelines which limited the duration of stipends to five years for students entering with a Bachelor of Science degree (master’s candidates) and four years for students entering with a DVM degree (Ph.D.candidates).

The salary guidelines accompanying the December 3, 1992 memo provided for a minimum salary for an entering student holding a D.V.M. to be $20,000 per year. Plaintiffs salary was $18,000.

On May 12, 1995, Dunn notified members of the department of the recently adopted guidelines regarding graduate students. On or about May 12, 1995, Dr. Dunn sent a memo addressed to plaintiff informing her of the guidelines adopted by the department. The guideline regarding time lines for graduate student stipends was set forth in the memo as follows:

“The duration of graduate student stipends from departmental sources be [sic] a maximum of 5 years for students entering our graduate program with a *1157 B.S. who are working toward a Ph.D. degree and 4 years for students entering our graduate program with an MS or D.V.M. (or equivalent) degree who are working toward a Ph.D. degree.”

Below this, the memo stated: “Based on the above, the maximum period through which a graduate stipend will be provided will be the 1995-96 academic year (June 17, 1996). Please note, however, that graduate stipends are annual contracts and renewal is based on satisfactory performance in both the research and teaching laboratories and available funding.”

Upon receipt of the memorandum, plaintiff told her major professor, Dr. Kaleem Quadri, that she did not think it applied to her, and that “maybe we [would] think about this later.” Dr. Quadri asked her if she would be able to finish by June of 1996. Plaintiff responded that she was not sure.

In a subsequent June 5, 1995, memo to plaintiff, Dunn indicated that plaintiffs stipend had been renewed for the fiscal year 1996. No mention was made in this memo of this being her last stipend.

Plaintiff believed her stipend would not be eliminated in June 1996 because she believed Dunn knew she would not be able to complete her Ph.D. work by then.

When plaintiff had entered the department, the Constitution and by-laws in effect did not contain a time limit for completion of a Ph.D. or for GRA funding.

Eleven months after receiving the May 12 memo from Dr. Dunn, plaintiff requested a stipend extension. After an exchange of correspondence, plaintiff met with Ron Marler, who was the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Dunn on May 22, 1996. At that meeting, plaintiff complained to the Dean that the denial of additional stipend support was “harassment” because she was one of Dr. Quadri’s students. (It appears undisputed there was some hostility at the time between Dr. Dunn and Dr. Quadri, who was a professor in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology and plaintiffs major professor.) After that meeting, plaintiff prepared a written account of the meeting in which she again stated that she was treated unfairly because she was one of Dr. Quadri’s graduate students.

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60 F. Supp. 2d 1153, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13170, 1999 WL 640040, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mohankumar-v-kansas-state-university-ksd-1999.