Melissa Landa, the former University of Maryland professor who contended that the School of Education discriminated against her when it failed to renew her contract, has had her Title IX complaint dismissed by the university’s Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct.
Landa has appealed the decision, according to The Algemeiner. In a statement, the university said that appeal was concluded, but declined to discuss the outcome.
Landa touched off a small firestorm when she publicly alleged that administrators stripped her of responsibility and ultimately dismissed her because of her pro-Israel politics. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington launched a petition for an investigation. Her story led to a meeting between Maryland’s president and Jewish community members.
Landa and her attorney, Ari Wilkenfeld, had expressed confidence that the Office of Civil Rights was carrying out a thorough investigation based on its questioning of Landa. But she struck a different tone following the decision. According to The Algemeiner, Landa claimed that investigators only contacted two witnesses, leaving out others she had identified. She also told The Algemeiner that the Office of Civil Rights report didn’t refer to emails from School of Education administrators.
The university rebuffed those claims in a statement to Washington Jewish Week.
“The university does not tolerate discrimination in the workplace, and unequivocally denies that any actions against Professor Landa were based on religion or political views. In addition, any suggestion that the university’s review of her allegations was not fair and comprehensive are entirely without merit,” the statement read.
It also said that her allegations were independently investigated three times by different university entities that reviewed “voluminous” records and took witness testimony.
“Throughout each of these processes, Professor Landa had the right to legal counsel and the opportunity to present evidence,” the statement said.
Landa declined to speak with WJW for this article; her attorney could not be reached.
