UMES President Heidi Anderson Sues Former Professor for Defamation

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) has been rocked by a legal and racial dispute between its president, Dr. Heidi Anderson, and a former professor, Donna Satterlee, that has the entire community shocked. The months-long saga, which has now escalated into several lawsuits, centers on the historically Black university and its leadership.

The dispute began when Donna Satterlee, a white woman who started teaching at UMES in 2002, sued President Anderson and the university back in July, according to reports. Satterlee left her position after being recommended for termination last year. In her July lawsuit, the scholar alleged wrongful termination, claiming she was denied promotions and paid less than her peers.

The lawsuit also accused UMES leadership of prioritizing African American staffers over white ones. Above all, Satterlee also took aim at Anderson– a Black woman who was appointed to her position in 2018, according to her UMES bio— when Satterlee accused the president of plagiarizing portions of her 1986 dissertation, WBOC reported.

“Defendants acted under the color of the law, faked an investigation as a coercive device to induce extreme vulnerability, denied due process and meaningful opportunities to respond, concocted egregious lies and abused processes to intimidate and coerce Plaintiff,” the suit read. Satterlee also accused UMES leadership of prioritizing African American staffers over white ones.

Now, Anderson has officially filed a lawsuit of her own against Satterlee, alleging defamation. “I stayed quiet for as long as I could,” Anderson said. “There’s no plagiarism here. It’s an attack on me and my character and all of us at the university. I needed to take a stand.”

Satterlee reportedly used “Turnitin,” a website designed to trace plagiarism, which determined about 26 percent of Anderson’s 1986 dissertation was stolen. “I was upset with the way Anderson was treating me and also talking with students about plagiarism,” Satterlee later told The Washington Post. “Both contributed to me reviewing her dissertation.”

The president is now suing Satterlee for defamation, alleging the former professor is lying about everything. Anderson is seeking $1 million in damages. The two women are expected to head to court this week, WBOC also reported.

So far, only the chair of the UMES Board, Tina Wilson, has weighed in on all of the drama. On Facebook, she wrote in support of Anderson. “Two lawsuits alleging discrimination and a reckless, anonymous accusation sent to The Baltimore Banner attempting to undermine Dr. Anderson’s academic credentials are emblematic of [a] disturbing trend,” Wislon said.

Five other people have signed a letter in support of Anderson, including her dissertation advisor at Purdue University.