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KPBS Midday Edition

Five Southwestern College Employees Sue Over Alleged Racial Discrimination

Students walk through the Southwestern College campus in Chula Vista in this undated photo.
Southwestern College
Students walk through the Southwestern College campus in Chula Vista in this undated photo.
Five current and former Black Southwestern College employees have sued the institution over alleged racial discrimination. This follows a report by USC that found a climate of anti-Black racism at the college in Chula Vista.

Five current and former Black Southwestern College employees have sued the institution over alleged racial discrimination.

This follows an investigation conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California's Race and Equity Center completed in 2018 that identified a climate of anti-Black racism at the college in Chula Vista.

"The overwhelming majority of the USC Race and Equity Center’s campus climate assessments are conducted at predominantly white four-year colleges and universities," according to the report resulting from the center's findings. "Over the past 11 years, African American students, faculty, and staff have shared with us especially horrendous examples of their encounters with racism on campuses. Unfortunately, we have grown accustomed to this. But honestly, the stories we heard from classified employees at Southwestern were the worst of any place we have been."

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Gustavo Solis has reported on this issue for the San Diego Union-Tribune and joins Midday Edition on Thursday to discuss the lawsuit's allegations.