In a gripping legal battle that underscores issues of discrimination and retaliation in academia, a former professor has taken his fight to the courtroom. On December 2, 2025, Michael TenEyck filed a complaint against the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The lawsuit accuses UTA of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by discriminating against him based on sex and race and retaliating after he reported these violations.
Michael TenEyck, who served as a faculty member in UTA’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Department from January 2017 until May 2025, claims that he faced discrimination due to being male and Caucasian. According to TenEyck, despite being qualified for tenure, he was denied this professional milestone while a less qualified female candidate was granted tenure instead. He asserts that this decision was part of a broader pattern of inequitable treatment within the department. “Faculty turnover was startlingly high,” an external review noted in 2023, attributing it partly to discord from actions by past and current department chairs. The report suggested handling personnel matters outside the department to avoid potential retaliation—a recommendation allegedly ignored by UTA.
The complaint further details how Dr. Jaya Davis, then interim chair of the department, allegedly retaliated against TenEyck after an external review criticized departmental leadership. Despite receiving an “exceeds expectations” performance review from an outside chair brought in later, TenEyck’s tenure denial stood firm. He alleges that Dr. Davis manipulated processes to ensure his application failed while favoring other candidates not within his protected class.
TenEyck also recounts how UTA’s internal Equal Opportunity Office failed to acknowledge policy violations despite evidence and testimonies supporting his claims. The lawsuit seeks various forms of relief including back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, attorneys’ fees, costs, and expert fees under Title VII provisions.
Represented by Frank Hill and Stefanie M. Klein from Hill Gilstrap P.C., TenEyck is determined to hold UTA accountable for what he describes as systemic discrimination and retaliation affecting his career prospects significantly. The case is presided over by Judge Reed O’Connor under Case ID 4:25-cv-01351-O.
Source: 425cv01351_Michael_Teneyck_v_Univeristy_of_Texas_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Texas.pdf
