UNC-Charlotte Sued for Racial Discrimination and First Amendment Rights Violation by Fired Employee

A former UNC-Charlotte employee, Janique Sanders, is suing the university for racial discrimination and two administrators for a First Amendment rights violation. The university fired Sanders in May 2025 after undercover individuals recorded videos that showed Sanders alluding to continued diversity practices at the university despite the widespread dismantling of DEI in the UNC System.

Sanders was employed by the university’s Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement until it was shut down in 2024, as well as two other offices with a similar purpose, after the UNC System repealed its diversity policies across its 17 institutions. At the time of her termination, she was an assistant director in the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement.

Read more at Carolina Public Press