Liberty University is facing a discrimination lawsuit from a former employee in the school’s Office of Equity and Inclusion.
LeeQuan McLaurin, who worked as an associate director of student engagement and director of diversity retention at the university from 2018 to 2020, filed a suit claiming the school discriminated against him because he is Black, gay, and Christian.
McLaurin is seeking damages for “sex discrimination, religious discrimination, race discrimination, and retaliation,” the suit states.
In the lawsuit, McLaurin alleges several incidents where his supervisors condemned homosexuality and the LGBTQ community.
The suit details one example where his supervisor allegedly said that “homophobia did not exist at Liberty University and that he and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community should be happy that Liberty ‘allowed’ them to be there.”
He also claims he was paid less than other employees in similar roles because of his sexual orientation and race, according to the suit.
McLaurin is the second employee to file a discrimination suit against the university within the last month. Kelvin Edwards, a former Liberty football player and diversity officer, sued the school on July 6 for alleged racial discrimination and breach of contract.
Liberty was also one of 25 institutions listed in an ongoing class-action lawsuit that seeks to eliminate Title IX exemptions for taxpayer-funded religious colleges and universities that discriminate against LGBTQ students.
