Former dean says racist bullying drove him from Stanislaus State; files claim
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- Former dean Terence Pitre filed a racial bias claim against Stanislaus State.
- Pitre cited harassment, slurs and health decline during his three-year tenure.
- University history includes prior discrimination lawsuits and payout settlements.
A former dean at Stanislaus State detailed acts of racial discrimination and harassment in an eight-page resignation letter to university president Britt Rios-Ellis and has filed a claim with the California State University, the first step in filing a lawsuit against its board of trustees.
In the letter, Terence Pitre, who served as dean of the university’s college of business administration for three years, said he was subjected to race-based public disparagement, social media slurs and overtly racist or anti-Black hostility, as well as public humiliation in open meetings and two votes of no-confidence.
Pitre in his letter also raised questions about an independent investigation following a formal complaint to human resources. That investigation was conducted by an attorney who, according to the resignation letter, was at the time working for Stanislaus State, representing the university against a racial discrimination claim in what he says was a clear conflict of interest.
“This list doesn’t fully convey the significant impact they’ve had on my mental and physical health,” Pitre wrote in the resignation letter. “Since joining Stanislaus State University, my blood pressure has risen, and my prescribed medications have increased, a fact supported by my medical records.”
According to the letter, the investigator confirmed through an eyewitness that a faculty member had called Pitre “the N-word” in a faculty meeting and had received email and screenshots from faculty social media group chats where the dean was referred to as a malignant buffoon and other demeaning words or phrases.
The investigator’s report dismissed those allegations, Pitre said in the letter.
“Nothing was done to protect me from further racially based discrimination, retaliation and harassment during the pendency of the 18-month investigation,” Pitre wrote in the resignation letter. “Once the report was completed, with no findings, I was informed that the faculty was ‘really going to go after me.’”
The university responded to questions about the resignation letter from Pitre with a statement: “Stanislaus State does not comment on individual personnel matters. Concerns of discrimination and harassment are taken seriously and reviewed in accordance with CSU policy. In this case, the concerns raised were investigated and the university remains committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive environment where the well-being and dignity of every member of our campus community are a top priority.”
Pitre, who is represented by attorney Thomas Dimitre, did not single out any administrators, faculty or staff by name in the resignation letter.
‘It’s a very toxic place’
In an interview with The Fresno Bee, the administrator, a department chair at Bowling Green State University in Ohio prior to his hiring at Stanislaus State, said he believed the issues he encountered at the Turlock university run deep within the College of Business Administration.
“My interpretation is there are some players in the college,” Pitre said. “I don’t think that’s significantly different from the rest of the university, and I only say that because ever since I got there, there was an anti-Black feeling on campus that I heard other faculty bring up in some of the more general university meetings. I don’t think it’s unique to the college. I think in some ways the college might have less of it. But there’s just some very key players in the college. That was one of the things that I was warned of, that there’s a lot of vocal people and there’s a lot of bullying that goes on in the college. There’s a propensity for people to go along with whatever the bullies say. It’s a very interesting dynamic there.
“It’s a very toxic place. There’s a lot of everything going on there. There’s definitely some racism. There’s some anti-Blackness. There’s just a general toxicity that exists there.”
Pitre also said that in February, his wife found him unconscious on the bathroom floor.
“The implication was clear – the ongoing, daily discrimination, retaliation and harassment based on my race had led to the episode,” he wrote to Rios-Ellis.
“I needed to move on from Stan State. Despite having already considered this action, there remained some doubt about leaving. However, at that point, I knew I had to move forward with a plan to depart.”
Email to students
In an email to his students, Pitre wrote that the decision to leave was not easy, noting that during his three-year tenure, he helped the university achieve full reaccreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, grow its Master of Business Administration programs, launch new concentrations and certificates, receive national rankings and enroll two of the largest undergraduate classes in the university’s history. He also highlighted “a renewed focus on entrepreneurship, networking and career preparation.”
“However, behind these accomplishments was another reality I can’t ignore,” Pitre wrote in the email. “From the time I accepted this role, I experienced persistent racial discrimination, retaliation and targeted harassment from some (not all) faculty and staff. Despite reporting this condition, the system failed to act meaningfully. I was left without protection or support, even as the environment deteriorated and impacted my physical and emotional health.”
Pitre added that he does not want his experience to be a cautionary tale, but a catalyst and encouraged students to prioritize their well-being and take control of their futures. He also expressed confidence in President Britt-Ellis’s ability to lead the university.
“There is no tragedy in walking away from a space that no longer serves you. The real tragedy is believing you can’t,” he wrote.
On June 9, Kettering University in Flint, Mich., announced Pitre’s appointment as the new dean of the School of Management, effective June 30.
Pitre is a Navy veteran and has held faculty leadership positions at several institutions, including Bowling Green State University, Minnesota State University, Miami University, California State University–Sacramento, Saint Mary’s College of California and the University of St. Thomas.
“Being military, you have to do what they call ‘live the brand,’” said Pitre in the Kettering University announcement. “You’re always representing your institution. That mindset is exactly what I bring to Kettering.”
He holds a PhD in accounting from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business, an MBA in accounting and finance from Tulane University, and a bachelor of arts in finance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The college of business administration at Stanislaus State has had personnel issues at the top before, going back to 2009 when dean Nael Aly resigned or was forced out prior to the start of the fall semester.
Aly, according to reports by the Merced Sun-Star, said he was forced to resign. The university said the dean made the choice to return to a faculty position. Faculty in the business college passed a resolution in support of Aly, and admonished the university following his dismissal.
Previous lawsuit
This is not the first time the university has faced such allegations.
In 2022, four former employees sued California State University, Stanislaus, alleging discrimination and harassment based on gender, pregnancy, disability and race.
One plaintiff, IT consultant Carla Rounds, was given two and a half years of paid leave, totaling about $272,000, in what her attorney said was an attempt to avoid a lawsuit. In another case, the U.S. Department of Labor fined the university for violating the rights of Meshell Alcantar, a benefits leave manager, during her pregnancy.
Rounds, Alcantar and former administrator Karlha Davies claimed they were fired or placed on leave due to bias. Former groundskeeper Sen Saephanh alleged a supervisor’s discrimination created unsafe conditions, leading to a serious chainsaw injury.
“Unfortunately for Stanislaus, this is a pattern,” Dimitre said in a 2022 Bee article.
CSU Stanislaus officials denied all of the allegations.
After an internal settlement negotiation, the university paid Alcantar $31,199.49. Saephanh also settled in court. Davie’s case is still open with a settlement conference scheduled for early next year. Rounds’ case still sits in federal court.
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 4:47 PM.
