Zafra Lerman said Columbia violated its own policies and her rights as a tenured professor by firing her last year. Her federal suit, filed against four top administrators, said they began a retaliatory campaign against her after she criticized the firing of Suriya Smiley, a professor of Palestinian descent who was accused of making an anti-Semitic remark.

A Palestinian Muslim instructor fired from a Chicago college sued for discrimination. Suriya Smiley sued Columbia College Chicago Monday in federal court after she was fired in January when a student accused her of making anti-Semitic remarks in class.

The suit [filed by CAIR-Chicago] alleges Smiley was treated less favorably than similarly situated employees who were not Palestinian or Arab when accused of "false allegations of misconduct."

The suit [filed by CAIR-Chicago] alleges Smiley was treated less favorably than similarly situated employees who were not Palestinian or Arab when accused of "false allegations of misconduct."

"The unsubstantiated allegation against, and subsequent firing of, Sue Smiley reeks of racism," said Kevin Vodak, an attorney for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which filed the suit on Smiley's behalf.

"According to the suit [filed by CAIR-Chicago], a teacher's assistant and eight other students were present in class at the time and confirmed that Smiley never made the remark or any anti-Semitic statements. Despite no evidence, the college refused to conduct an investigation into the allegations and swiftly fired Smiley, the suit said. No witnesses were contacted or questioned." Also see related stories in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times

"The three-count federal suit (filed by CAIR-Chicago) -- which claims one count of national origin discrimination and two counts of race discrimination -- seeks all wages and benefits she would have received, in addition to compensatory and punitive damages. It also seeks an order mandating Smiley be returned to her former position or receive pay in lieu of reinstatement."