University Sued, Former Adjunct Professor Claims Discrimination

A former Elmhurst University Music Department adjunct professor is claiming his 11-year, annually renewed, contract was canceled this year due to his religion and race.

Louis Yoelin, the former professor, filed a suit against EU and James Hile, Music Department chair, for $60,000, according to official court documents.

According to the case, Yoelin was a member of an online group dedicated to activism against antisemitism. On the organization’s Facebook page, they frequently promote engaging with and arguing against online, potentially bad-faith, actors frequently. Yoelin, according to the case, was an active member of this group.

The court complaint alleges, in March 2023, a user which Yoelin had previously interacted with because of this online group posted on Facebook their intention to contact Elmhurst University and “get [Yoelin] into trouble.” The court complaint claims, “upon information and belief,” this user sent emails to Hile providing “false, defamatory, racist, antisemitic, or otherwise harmful statements” about Yoelin.

According to the court complaint, Hile did not share any of these emails with Yoelin, claiming “I’m not in the habit of sharing emails I receive from others, especially when they do not relate to any work-related decisions.”

According to the 2023-2024 EU Course Catalog, Yoelin was scheduled to teach one class, AMC 202/302 Composition, along with current professors David DeVasto and John Dorhauer. The court case identifies him as “an Adjunct Professor of Music Theory and Composition.”

An email shown in the court complaint shows Yoelin was notified via email in June 2023 he would not have classes to teach in the fall. A new full-time professor, Joshua Rodriguez, was hired and took over his position.

The court complaint mentions that Rodriguez had minimal teaching experience. In a comment to the Daily Herald, Yoelin’s law firm uses this as evidence for Hile and EU’s alleged discrimination.

When asked, Yoelin’s law firm, represented by Mark Trent, provided a statement claiming, “It is our contention that the unfortunate choice of the University and of Dean James Hile to terminate Mr. Yoelin due to his involvement in speaking out against Antisemitism in our community has caused harm beyond just Mr. Yoelin.”

The firm also stated, “The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Mr. Yoelin was wrongfully terminated as a result of pervasive antisemitism on the Elmhurst University Campus.”

According to the court complaint, in August 2023, Yoelin had filed a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for his dismissal which found that the university had acted lawfully and Yoelin was “not discriminated against on any basis (including disability status, age, sex, gender, or religion).” The Daily Herald claims this is what allowed Yoelin to file a formal suit with the U.S. District Court.

Hile has declined to comment on the matter. When asked, a representative of EU stated, “We cannot comment on personnel matters or pending litigation. The University stands behind our policies against discrimination and harassment.” and “We reiterate that there is no place for antisemitism or any form of discrimination at Elmhurst University.”