In separate but related cases decided in May 2025, Judge Lisa L. Sadler granted summary judgment motions in favor of Central State University's Board of Trustees, finding that Lena Fields-Arnold and Dr. Ieesha Ramsey failed to establish viable discrimination claims under Ohio law.
Lena Fields-Arnold, a 58-year-old African American woman who worked as CSU's Executive Director of Public Relations and Communications, sued the university alleging discrimination based on race, age, and sex, as well as retaliation under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Fields-Arnold—who was on a probationary executive position—was returned to her former position as Communications Coordinator in August 2022, with her salary reduced from $95,000 to $66,000. She left the university three months later and is currently employed at Wilberforce University.
However, Judge Sadler ruled that Fields-Arnold could not establish a prima facie case of age or sex discrimination because her replacement was also a woman who was "not substantially younger" than Fields-Arnold.
Regarding her race discrimination claim, the court found that while Fields-Arnold could potentially establish a prima facie case, she failed to prove that CSU's stated reason for her demotion—poor job performance—was not merely a pretext for discrimination.
Dr. Jack Thomas, CSU's former president who made the demotion decision, stated in an sworn affidavit that Fields-Arnold "was struggling to meet my expectations" and that he was "not satisfied with her written work product." The court noted that Thomas had taken disciplinary action against several other employees, including males, for performance issues during his tenure.
"Plaintiff's conclusory, subjective belief is not sufficient evidence for this Court to conclude that Defendant demoted Plaintiff because of her race, age, or sex," Judge Sadler wrote.
The court also dismissed Fields-Arnold's FMLA retaliation claim, finding no causal connection between her use of family medical leave and her demotion, noting that Thomas had actually approved her leave requests both before and after criticizing her performance.
Dr. Ieesha Ramsey, an African American woman with a Ph.D. in educational leadership, alleged sex discrimination after being removed from her position as Executive Director of the Undergraduate Student Success Center and reassigned to a scholarship coordinator role in August 2022.
Judge Sadler ruled that Ramsey could not establish the fourth element of a sex discrimination claim because she was replaced by another woman, Lakeisha Jenkins-Washington, who was also in the same protected class.
The court found that while Ramsey sustained an "adverse employment action" through her demotion, she could not demonstrate that she was treated differently than similarly situated employees outside her protected class.
Dr. F. Erik Brooks, who served as CSU's provost during Ramsey's tenure, stated in an affidavit that there were "complaints from students about the programs she was overseeing" and that "retention numbers of first year students at CSU" declined during her time as director.
The court also rejected Ramsey's hostile work environment claim, finding that isolated comments, including one instance where a supervisor allegedly said she "talked too much," were insufficient to establish sex-based harassment.
These dismissals come amid ongoing scrutiny of CSU's leadership transitions. As reported by Diverse in February 2024, Thomas's departure as president in 2023 was controversial, with supporters arguing he had successfully transformed the university by boosting enrollment and securing grant funding, while facing what they characterized as "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations."
"While I was not a party to either lawsuit, it is my reputation that was being called into question,” said Thomas, when reached by Diverse. "I'm very pleased that the judge came to the correct conclusion that, in both cases, the allegations being made were completely without merit. I'm glad I can now focus my full energies on my future professional life and goals.”
An external investigation ultimately found "no evidence to support a finding of discrimination" against Thomas, but he chose not to seek contract renewal after losing board support.
In both cases, the court applied the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework commonly used in employment discrimination cases. Under this standard, plaintiffs must first establish a prima facie case of discrimination, after which the burden shifts to the employer to provide legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for the adverse action. The plaintiff must then prove those reasons were pretextual.
Judge Sadler emphasized that courts cannot "second guess the business judgments of an employer making personnel decisions" absent evidence. Fields-Arnold said that she was “disheartened” by the court’s dismissal but said that she is considering an appeal.
