Washington, D.C. — The New Civil Liberties Alliance has filed a response opposing Cornell University’s Motion to Dismiss the Complaint NCLA submitted on behalf of Dr. Mukund Vengalattore last year. Professor Vengalattore, a former tenure-track physics professor at Cornell, was subjected to a Title IX disciplinary proceeding utterly lacking in due process and infected by racial and gender bias. As a direct result of its flawed process, Cornell falsely branded Dr. Vengalattore as guilty of a consensual sexual relationship with a graduate student—something that neither he nor the student alleged.
Dr. Vengalattore never had a full and fair opportunity to challenge the validity of the charges against him in the disciplinary proceeding used by Cornell. Cornell’s falsehoods continue to interfere with his ability to get another tenure-track position, and Dr. Vengalattore is committed to clearing his name and making sure Cornell’s unfair process cannot be used again. Rather than attempt to defend its unfair processes, Cornell has tried to portray this case as being about Vengalattore’s tenure decision—which was already litigated—rather than about Cornell’s unlawful disciplinary regime.
“Cornell violated Title IX through its gender-biased disciplinary process. They hid the precise accusations from Dr. Vengalattore yet obligated him to prove his innocence to investigators who worked hand-in-hand with the accuser. Dr. Vengalattore never had a hearing on these charges and was not allowed to confront his accuser. This shoddy investigation violated every notion of due process.” —Caleb Kruckenberg, Litigation Counsel, NCLA
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NCLA is a nonprofit civil rights organization founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLA’s public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans’ fundamental rights.