The SIU Board of Trustees and SIU-Edwardsville are being sued by a Palestinian-born employee for racial discrimination.

Sandra Tamari, an international admissions specialist at SIUE according to the biography on her webpage, claims the university violated her civil rights when she was denied an in-person interview for a promotion because of her national origin, according to a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court last week. 

Tamari also alleges systematic discrimination directed at herself and students of Middle Eastern descent has been perpetuated by administrators and staff. One or more SIUE staff members equated admission of students from the Middle East as “admission of terrorists,” Tamari claims in her complaint.

Tamari asked all inquiries concerning the case be relayed to her attorney Lee Barron, who could not be reached for comment.

SIUE would not comment regarding ongoing litigation, university spokesperson Megan Wieser said.

Chad Martinez, SIUE’s director of the office of equal opportunity, could not be reached for comment.

Tamari is seeking damages in excess of $75,000 from SIUE for lost compensation and attorney fees. An injunction has also been filed with the suit to prohibit SIUE from discriminating based on national origin. While she still has a biography on SIUE’s webpage, Wieser could not confirm if Tamari is employed at the university.

Bill Lukitsch can be contacted at [email protected] or (618) 536-3399.