Professor at Horry college mocked Black student’s learning disability, federal suit says
Horry Georgetown Technical College and an English professor are defendants in a federal lawsuit after a Black student said the professor sent her a racist message making fun of her learning disability.
Ladaysha Berrien, 18, was a student in Sheryl Lindquist’s English class at the public, two-year college in September 2020 when all in-person classes were suspended due to the pandemic, according to the lawsuit.
During her first semester of college, Berrien reached out to Lindquist, asking for help understanding an assignment, the federal lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit, Lindquist “became annoyed” with Berrien because she still did not understand the assignment, and referred Berrien to the college’s Program for Accelerated College Enrollment, a dual-enrollment program that allows high school students to earn college credit.
The referral further confused Berrien, the lawsuit states. Berrien’s mother, Lisa Myers, emailed Lindquist for clarification on the assignment on behalf of her daughter.
Sept. 22, 2020, Berrien said she received a text message from Lindquist that said “This black, NY girl is giving me fits has her mother involved. The mother sent me the girl’s documents for her LD: last year she had 5th grade reading and comprehension. WHY would not this ‘[b****]’ just go collect her disability check and leave me alone? This is going to blow up yet and I catch the shrapnel.”
The lawsuit accuses Lindquist of discriminating against Berrien based on her race and violating her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Lindquist told Berrien that the message was intended for a friend or colleague. Berrien was “devastated” and sent the message to her mother, who contacted Horry Georgetown Technical College to report the incident.
Lindquist was aware of Berrien’s learning disability, as Berrien had provided documentation to the college’s office of accessibility and disability services, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit states that the text message Lindquist intended for her friend violated Berrien’s confidentiality by disclosing her learning disability.
Lindquist sent an apology email to Meyers, according to the filing.
“Ms. Meyers, once again, I want to apologize for my bad and hurtful behavior. I know that my words come at a time when America is coming to grips with racism and truly bad behavior, in general,” the email referenced in the lawsuit states.
The college’s president, Marilyn Fore, apologized and said she would investigate the incident. Fore also offered Berrien a scholarship to continue her education at HGTC, according to the lawsuit.
Berrien said she wasn’t comfortable continuing her education at the college, saying she was “traumatized” by what Lindquist said about her, adding that she is embarrassed about her disability being shared with someone who “does not have the right to or need to know,” the lawsuit states.
The college agreed to let Berrien withdraw from her classes in a way that would show she had never attended HGTC, to avoid negatively impacting her financial aid or educational record. Her tuition and fees were also reimbursed.
The lawsuit states that there was no compensation for Berrien furthering her education “and the psychological trauma” caused to her by the college nor by Lindquist.
Oct. 14, 2020, Berrien sent a letter to Horry Georgetown Technical College asking to negotiate a “fair and reasonable” settlement to cover attorney fees, therapy and tuition to attend an institution of higher education of her choice.
The next day, Horry Georgetown Technical College said it “could not make a commitment” due to the ongoing investigation.
Berrien issued Horry Georgetown Technical College a notice of the lawsuit July 1, 2021, according to the filing.
Nicole Hyman, spokesperson for Horry Georgetown Technical College, confirmed that Lindquist is no longer employed at the college.
Hyman said Horry Georgetown Technical College does not comment on pending litigation.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 1:57 PM.
