Cal State, Sac State president sued over gender, race discrimination | EdSource
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Former Sacramento State chief diversity officer Mia Settles-Tidwell is suing the university’s president, Luke Wood, as well as the whole Cal State system for alleged discrimination based on age, gender and race, The Sacramento Bee reported.
She resigned from her position in 2024, and her complaint was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Settles-Tidwell claimed that as a Black woman, she was offered a lower pay raise, excluded from certain teams and documents, and humiliated in the presence of her colleagues. Ultimately, she alleged that she was gradually denied her full responsibilities, according to The Bee.
“We believe we have a very meritorious case,” attorney Mainak D’Attaray, who is representing Settles-Tidwell, told The Bee. “It was a campaign of harassment and retaliation against my client and we’re hoping to be vindicated in court.”
A spokesperson for CSU said the system was not served the lawsuit until March 2026, nearly a year after it was initially filed, The Bee reported.
“CSU believes the claims asserted by Plaintiff Settles-Tidwell are entirely baseless and devoid of merit, and CSU is prepared to vigorously defend against these claims,” the spokesperson told The Bee.
A hearing over a motion by CSU and Wood to transfer the case to Sacramento County Superior Court is scheduled for Sept. 8, according to The Bee. Settles-Tidwell plans to oppose the motion, her attorney said.
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News Brief
Monday, June 15, 2026 — 9:21 am
June 15, 2026
Former Sacramento State chief diversity officer Mia Settles-Tidwell is suing the university’s president, Luke Wood, as well as the whole Cal State system for alleged discrimination based on age, gender and race, The Sacramento Bee reported.
She resigned from her position in 2024, and her complaint was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Settles-Tidwell claimed that as a Black woman, she was offered a lower pay raise, excluded from certain teams and documents, and humiliated in the presence of her colleagues. Ultimately, she alleged that she was gradually denied her full responsibilities, according to The Bee.
“We believe we have a very meritorious case,” attorney Mainak D’Attaray, who is representing Settles-Tidwell, told The Bee. “It was a campaign of harassment and retaliation against my client and we’re hoping to be vindicated in court.”
A spokesperson for CSU said the system was not served the lawsuit until March 2026, nearly a year after it was initially filed, The Bee reported.
“CSU believes the claims asserted by Plaintiff Settles-Tidwell are entirely baseless and devoid of merit, and CSU is prepared to vigorously defend against these claims,” the spokesperson told The Bee.
A hearing over a motion by CSU and Wood to transfer the case to Sacramento County Superior Court is scheduled for Sept. 8, according to The Bee. Settles-Tidwell plans to oppose the motion, her attorney said.
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