Professor Sues Cornell College Over Mishandling Sexual Harassment Complaint

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (KCRG) – A professor is suing Cornell College after she claims the school mishandled a harassment complaint.

Megan Altman, the current chair of the philosophy department, says she was alarmed by former department chair Jim White’s escalating and ongoing sexual harassment and strange and inconsistent behavior.

In her complaint filed last month, Altman alleges that White harassed and harassed her and that the provost and dean of students failed to act on her complaints.

One incident described in the complaint dates back to 2022, and it alleges that White tried to deny her a request to work remotely during the winter in Europe.

The complaint says White told her, “I don’t want you to go because I’m going to miss you.”

In another incident the following year, Altman claims White was upset that she no longer “needed” him after making other friends at work. According to the complaint, he told her, “I need you to need me.”

It goes on to detail additional incidents that escalate, as well as Altman’s attempts to use new routes around campus to avoid White.

During the Sept. 14, 2023, incident, Altman claims White was stomping up and down the stairs, throwing objects around, shaking the walls and yelling, “I can’t work with her in here! If I could retire today, I would! I’m done with this department! I finished Yesterday everything blew up. I can’t talk about it with her here.’

White was sent home and asked not to return to the office that day for her own safety.

The complaint also says that the next day, another philosophy professor at the college had a conversation with White in which he admitted to being obsessed with Altman.

After Altman filed a complaint against White, she says Cornell College allowed White to file a counter-complaint about a month later.

At the time, Altman says she was told White would drop the charges against her if she agreed to drop her Title IX lawsuit against him.

However, when Altman said she met with the college’s director of human resources to file another complaint against White for retaliatory actions against her, she was encouraged to drop her Title IX claims and instead accept his offer to settle the problem.

The college later dismissed Altman’s retaliation complaint, finding that White had not violated their non-retaliation policy.

The complaint also says Dean of Students Jackie Wilson pressured Altman to participate in an informal resolution process, saying, “If you go the official route, it’s out of my hands and you could be charged with sexual harassment. Jim can be found innocent.”

However, Altman argues that the college made the informal resolution process an ever-changing process, which Wilson called “fluid.”

Altman withdrew her Title IX claims and filed a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.

Altman is asking for a jury trial in his complaint.