Former Director of Academic Advising Sues EU, Claiming Discrimination

Former Director of Academic Advising Elaine Blair is accusing Elmhurst University of discriminating against her due to her race and age.

Blair filed a lawsuit in federal court against EU on Feb. 23. Blair is Black and was 67 years old at the time of filing, according to Patch.com, which first reported on the complaint June 4.

When asked, Ben Loewe, interim managing senior director of marketing and communications at EU, said that the “university cannot comment on personnel matters or pending litigation. We stand behind our employment policies and practices.” 

According to the case, Blair was hired as director of academic advising for EU on Sept. 5, 2023. Blair said she was told that she would be provided with an administrative assistant, as her predecessor had one, but none was provided.

When asked, Joshua McCann, the lead attorney for Blair, said it was his policy to not comment on pending litigation.

EU’s current director of academic advising, Dana Sample, was hired around the same time as Blair and is described as White and at least 10 years younger, according to court documents. When The Leader reached out to Sample for comment, Loewe responded that EU’s statement is inclusive of anything that Sample could share as well.

Blair alleges Sample would work from home for consecutive days, which she would find out solely through her supervisor, according to court documents. EU said Blair was included in communications regarding remote work days, according to the lawsuit.

Blair also alleges that Sample was “insubordinate,” giving instructions that contradicted her own, and that Sample raised her voice towards Blair in front of other staff. EU denies this.

According to the lawsuit, Blair was not provided with proper training on EU’s software application. When she did receive training, Blair said, it was directed towards Sample rather than herself.

EU denied these allegations, and claims to have attempted to provide Blair with training on various systems. The university alleged that Blair participated, but failed to utilize such systems, and missed other training meetings scheduled to provide her with necessary training, according to the lawsuit.

Blair also said she was told “we are only giving you a year” by EU’s vice president for student affairs, which at the time was Phillip Riordan. (Riordan retired in 2025 and could not be reached for comment.)

Blair said she thought this meant she would be fired regardless of her performance, and that she would not have applied for the job if she had known the position to be temporary, according to court documents.

Blair also alleges she was told twice that “we are going to run you away from here” by her supervisor.

Blair was fired on Sept. 26, 2024. Sample became director of academic advising three months later in January of 2025. EU said that while Sample has been employed since December 2019, Blair’s supervisor still decided to hire Blair to the position in 2023.

Blair also said she was never disciplined, nor told she completed inadequate work before her termination. EU denies this.

Both parties are prepared to participate in a settlement conference with a judge on July 28 at 10:30 a.m.

Blair is not the first former employee to sue Elmhurst University for discrimination. Louis Yoelin, a former Music Department adjunct professor, claimed in 2024 that his annually renewed contract was canceled due to his religion and race. The case was permanently dismissed on Oct. 15, 2024, and the parties reached a private settlement.

EU offers various resources for its diverse student population. The university’s employment policies and practices can be found here.