The chair of Cornell College’s Philosophy Department is suing her institution, its provost Ilene Crawford, its former Dean of Students Jackie Wilson, and a professor who she said obsessively and persistently sexually harassed her.
Associate Professor of Philosophy Megan Altman filed the lawsuit Dec. 16 in Linn County District Court, accusing her employer and the three named employees of sex-based discrimination and retaliation — which she said began in earnest in October 2022, three years after Altman started working at Cornell in August 2019.
Hired as an assistant professor of philosophy — teaching ethics, 19th and 20th century continental philosophy, Latin American philosophy, and feminist philosophy — Altman was promoted in 2023 to associate professor and currently serves as department chair.
In October 2022, she requested to “work a remote winter in Europe” and received approval from the department’s chair at the time. But professor Jim White — who had taught at Cornell for 35 years and was chair when Altman was hired — tried to block it, telling her, “I don’t want you to go because I’ll miss you,” according to the lawsuit.
In May 2023, Altman in her lawsuit said White told her, “I need you to need me” after noticing she had made other friends at work — compelling her to avoid his “attempts of non-professional conversations” for the subsequent summer.
When Altman returned for the fall semester in August, she said White came into her office asking, “So are we just going to continue to ignore each other?”
She left her office during that encounter — to avoid the confrontation — and said that White the next day came within inches of her face to request “an hour this week to get together.”
An attempt to “normalize their professional relationship” resulted in White posing a series of personal questions — and telling Altman on Aug. 31 that she has a “lovely face,” according to the lawsuit.
In September, White left a chocolate bar outside Altman’s office, eventually bringing it in, and texting her a poem.
“Can we please talk about this? Can we please talk?” Altman reported White said to her. “I’m so distraught. I can’t sleep. I’m torn up. Can we please talk?”
When Altman told White his behavior and advances made her uncomfortable, he expressed frustration and threatened retirement.
“On September 14, 2023, Ms. Altman heard White stomp up and down the stairs, throw objects around, shake the walls, and exclaim, ‘I can’t work with her here! If I could retire today, I would! I’m done with this department! I’m done. Everything exploded yesterday. I can’t talk about this with her here’,” according to the lawsuit.
The chair sent Altman home “for her own safety,” and Altman scheduled meetings with Cornell’s human resources director and Title IX coordinator — filing a formal Title IX complaint on Sept. 25, 2023 and receiving a “no contact order” the next day.
“(Altman) was terrified by White’s increasing and continuous sexual harassment and his strange and inconsistent behavior,” according to her lawsuit.
White moved out of his office in Cornell’s “Prall House” in November and promptly filed a Title IX complaint against Altman — which she characterized in the lawsuit as an “openly and obviously retaliatory complaint.”
“White was willing to drop charges against her if (she) agreed to drop her Title IX claim against White, underlining the complainant’s illicit purposes,” according to her lawsuit.
Cornell’s human resources director encouraged Altman to accept White’s informal offer of resolution, and the campus in January 2024 dismissed a secondary retaliation complaint she had filed against him.
In February 2024, Altman said then-Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Wilson also “pressured” her to participate in the Informal resolution process, saying, “If you go the formal route, then it’s out of my hands and you could be found guilty of sexual misconduct.
“Jim could be found not responsible. And he would be right back in Prall House and there is nothing the college could do about that.”
Although Altman eventually agreed to the informal resolution process, she reported frustration over delays and the “ever-changing process” — and decided instead to file a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, which in November 2024 issued her a “right to sue” letter.
In the lawsuit, Altman accused not only White of repeated and constant sexual harassment, but Cornell of permitting it — resulting in mental and emotional harm and anguish, anxiety, and past and future loss of wages, benefits, and emoluments of employment.
A Cornell spokeswoman declined to comment on the pending litigation and personnel matters. White did not immediately respond to an email from The Gazette.
Altman remains on the Cornell faculty as chair of the philosophy department, according to the lawsuit and Cornell. White — who first began teaching philosophy at Cornell in 1987 — no longer is listed among the faculty or faculty emeriti on the philosophy department’s web page.
Wilson, who started as Cornell dean of students in July 2022 after previously serving in the same role at the University of Alaska Southeast, left Mount Vernon in July 2024 to serve as dean of students and Title IX coordinator at College of Saint Mary in Omaha.
Cornell education professor Kate Kauper stepped in as her successor in August.
www.thegazette.com
Associate Professor of Philosophy Megan Altman filed the lawsuit Dec. 16 in Linn County District Court, accusing her employer and the three named employees of sex-based discrimination and retaliation — which she said began in earnest in October 2022, three years after Altman started working at Cornell in August 2019.
Hired as an assistant professor of philosophy — teaching ethics, 19th and 20th century continental philosophy, Latin American philosophy, and feminist philosophy — Altman was promoted in 2023 to associate professor and currently serves as department chair.
In October 2022, she requested to “work a remote winter in Europe” and received approval from the department’s chair at the time. But professor Jim White — who had taught at Cornell for 35 years and was chair when Altman was hired — tried to block it, telling her, “I don’t want you to go because I’ll miss you,” according to the lawsuit.
In May 2023, Altman in her lawsuit said White told her, “I need you to need me” after noticing she had made other friends at work — compelling her to avoid his “attempts of non-professional conversations” for the subsequent summer.
When Altman returned for the fall semester in August, she said White came into her office asking, “So are we just going to continue to ignore each other?”
She left her office during that encounter — to avoid the confrontation — and said that White the next day came within inches of her face to request “an hour this week to get together.”
An attempt to “normalize their professional relationship” resulted in White posing a series of personal questions — and telling Altman on Aug. 31 that she has a “lovely face,” according to the lawsuit.
In September, White left a chocolate bar outside Altman’s office, eventually bringing it in, and texting her a poem.
“Can we please talk about this? Can we please talk?” Altman reported White said to her. “I’m so distraught. I can’t sleep. I’m torn up. Can we please talk?”
When Altman told White his behavior and advances made her uncomfortable, he expressed frustration and threatened retirement.
“On September 14, 2023, Ms. Altman heard White stomp up and down the stairs, throw objects around, shake the walls, and exclaim, ‘I can’t work with her here! If I could retire today, I would! I’m done with this department! I’m done. Everything exploded yesterday. I can’t talk about this with her here’,” according to the lawsuit.
The chair sent Altman home “for her own safety,” and Altman scheduled meetings with Cornell’s human resources director and Title IX coordinator — filing a formal Title IX complaint on Sept. 25, 2023 and receiving a “no contact order” the next day.
“(Altman) was terrified by White’s increasing and continuous sexual harassment and his strange and inconsistent behavior,” according to her lawsuit.
White moved out of his office in Cornell’s “Prall House” in November and promptly filed a Title IX complaint against Altman — which she characterized in the lawsuit as an “openly and obviously retaliatory complaint.”
“White was willing to drop charges against her if (she) agreed to drop her Title IX claim against White, underlining the complainant’s illicit purposes,” according to her lawsuit.
Cornell’s human resources director encouraged Altman to accept White’s informal offer of resolution, and the campus in January 2024 dismissed a secondary retaliation complaint she had filed against him.
In February 2024, Altman said then-Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Wilson also “pressured” her to participate in the Informal resolution process, saying, “If you go the formal route, then it’s out of my hands and you could be found guilty of sexual misconduct.
“Jim could be found not responsible. And he would be right back in Prall House and there is nothing the college could do about that.”
Although Altman eventually agreed to the informal resolution process, she reported frustration over delays and the “ever-changing process” — and decided instead to file a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, which in November 2024 issued her a “right to sue” letter.
In the lawsuit, Altman accused not only White of repeated and constant sexual harassment, but Cornell of permitting it — resulting in mental and emotional harm and anguish, anxiety, and past and future loss of wages, benefits, and emoluments of employment.
A Cornell spokeswoman declined to comment on the pending litigation and personnel matters. White did not immediately respond to an email from The Gazette.
Altman remains on the Cornell faculty as chair of the philosophy department, according to the lawsuit and Cornell. White — who first began teaching philosophy at Cornell in 1987 — no longer is listed among the faculty or faculty emeriti on the philosophy department’s web page.
Wilson, who started as Cornell dean of students in July 2022 after previously serving in the same role at the University of Alaska Southeast, left Mount Vernon in July 2024 to serve as dean of students and Title IX coordinator at College of Saint Mary in Omaha.
Cornell education professor Kate Kauper stepped in as her successor in August.
Cornell philosophy chair sues campus, former boss for sexual harassment
The chair of Cornell College’s Philosophy Department is suing her institution, its provost Ilene Crawford, its former Dean of Students Jackie Wilson, and a professor who she said obsessively and persistently sexually harassed her.
www.thegazette.com
