We Have a Trial Date and Evidence of Discrimination by Idaho State University
We have some good news for you in my husband’s case (Jun Yu versus Idaho State University)!
But before we get into that, here’s a quick recap of why my husband is suing Idaho State University.
Imagine if your past 5 years of hard work were suddenly robbed from you…if your entire career and future were abruptly ruined.
That’s what happened to Jun Yu, my husband, who was abruptly forced out of his PhD program without any warning or remediation. The university also denied him the PhD he rightfully earned, as if all the hard work he did for the past 5 years was for nothing.
As the expert report of Dr. Shannon Chavez-Korell noted on page 8:
At the time of dismissal, Mr. Yu was a student in good standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.69, and he had only one pre-doctoral internship to complete prior to receiving his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Prior to the May 3, 2013 dismissal letter from ISU, Mr. Yu had never been on probation and had never been informed that he was in danger of being dismissed from the doctoral program.
Additional leading psychologists have concluded ISU violated professional and academic standards (including the author of the ethics textbook ISU used to train him); meanwhile ISU has no psychology experts supporting their case. You can learn more about the psychology experts supporting Jun at the Jun Yu versus Idaho State University fact sheet.
Despite the mounting evidence that they have committed serious violations of the law and professional standards, ISU has continued to deny doing anything wrong and attempted to avoid any accountability. This has been the case ever since filing the lawsuit in September 2015.
So one great piece of news to share is this — we have defeated ISU’s efforts to have the case thrown out and a trial date has been set for November 13, 2018.
Meanwhile, we are even more confident about the case since we obtained strong evidence that shows ISU discriminated against Jun.
You may recall that last year, the judge ordered ISU to hand over student records. Those court-ordered documents revealed that, in at least 6 major areas, ISU treated Jun in a discriminatory manner compared to similarly situated students. That includes the fact that, while Jun was never warned he was or would be at risk of dismissal (and was ultimately dismissed), 7 other students in the ISU program were explicitly warned (sometimes multiple times) that they were or would be at risk of dismissal (and none of these students were dismissed).
You can view the evidence for yourself on the public record. However, this table is an excellent overview of the findings:
If you would like to explore the case in further detail, you’re welcome to take a look at the Jun Yu versus Idaho State University fact sheet to learn more. Additionally, legal geeks or anyone curious about the details can visit Jun Yu v. Idaho State University Federal Lawsuit – Public Documents.
Thank you always for your support, which has helped enable our fight for justice and helped us achieve these small victories. We will continue to fight until justice prevails.
P.S.: Generosity — the platform we’ve used for online fundraising — will close its doors on March 29, 2018, the last date where we can still accept financial support through the website. If you or someone you know would like to support us financially through Generosity, you’re welcome to do so in these last few days. Thank you!
That’s good news. With best wishes for a successful ending.
Thank you so much!
That’s wonderful, Jocelyn and Jun. It looks like you have a good case. I wish you success.
Thank you so much, Nicki!
Good luck and I hope justice prevails. Jacqueline
Thank you so much Jacqueline!
As an Asian raised in the the continental US, I can certainly share Jun’s feeling of discrimination, especially in a red state such as Idaho. I finally had my first taste of true equality when I moved to Hawaii and also regained my self esteem there. I very much hope that you folks can truly have a fair minded jury/judge whereby the evidences can be given a fair shake in the trial outcome. The very best wishes to you two.
Thank you so much for understanding what my husband went through — and for your support. Hawaii sounds like a wonderful place to live, based on what I’ve heard about the state.
My sentiments…has been for a very long time! Idaho along with Alabama and Mississippi are very racist states. Is n’t that the only state where a Chinese woman was lynched way back in the 1800s?
Thanks for the comment David. Idaho certainly has a reputation for being racist. I do know it had one of the largest Chinese populations for a period of time in the 1800s, so I would not be surprised if there was a lynching then.
Wow! Jocelyn, all the best to you and Jun. You go, girl!!!!! You rock!!!!
Thank you so much Fred!
I’m eager to see this go to trial and I am sure Jun will win in court, and it should be interesting what comes out in court….
Thank you for your support ManilaMemories!
Oh my goodness, how sickening this is! I really hope you can stick it too them, sometimes it feels like we are just underdogs that have to roll over on this crap! I am so glad that you guys get to take them to court! Sending you positive vibes <3
Thank you so much Marissa! They had hoped we would take their garbage, but we’re not — and we’re going to keep moving forward until justice is served. Your positive vibes are much appreciated!
We are almost there
I am currently looking for a job
Promise to donate more when I get my first month salary
Thank you for your support! But don’t worry for now — get your job first.