Racial Discrimination Case Dismissed in Superior Court

The Middlesex Superior Court dismissed the lawsuit of a former University official who says he lost his job because of racial discrimination.

Wendy A. Kaplan, lawyer for George Pressley, who was director of compensation until he was laid off in 1991, said the court's action last week was "a travesty of justice."

She said that the judge did not deal with the evidence in the case of George Pressley v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. "Of course there was a racial issue underlying his dismissal," said Kaplan. "He was systematically excluded from the benefits of the work that comparable white employees received."

University Attorney Allan A. Ryan Jr. said yesterday he was pleased with the judgment.

The lawsuit, which charged the Office of Human Resources with anti-minority layoff procedures, was dismissed under a motion for summary judgment filed by Harvard.

Kaplan said that Pressley, who is Black, will appeal the decision. Pressley could not be reached for comment.

Pressley was dismissed from his position in January 1991 after working in the Compensation Department of the Office of Human Re- sources for five years.

Ryan said the motion was granted becausePressley failed to present a case in a matter oflaw.

"Even if he was laid off for these reasons, heis unable to provide any specific examples [ofracial harassment]," Ryan said.

In his position, which was eliminated alongwith the Compensation Department in January 1991,Pressley advised the University on proper salarylevels for employees according to marketconditions. He was also responsible for conductingsalary surveys and setting pay and wages acrossthe campus.

The responsibilities of the CompensationDepartment were assumed by the individual schools,according to Ryan. "At the time of Pressley'stermination the function of the Department hadbegun to be performed less centrally and more byindividual schools," Ryan said.

Pressley sued the University on seven counts,all of which were challenged in the motion forsummary judgment. Among the seven counts was aclaim that Pressley received "disparate treatment"because he is Black.

Judge Gordon L. Doerfer decided, however, thatPressley could not support this claim in court.

"The plaintiff does not compare his experienceto any similarly situated individuals from which areasonable jury could draw the conclusion ofdisparate treatment," Doerfer wrote in hisdecision

Ryan said the motion was granted becausePressley failed to present a case in a matter oflaw.

"Even if he was laid off for these reasons, heis unable to provide any specific examples [ofracial harassment]," Ryan said.

In his position, which was eliminated alongwith the Compensation Department in January 1991,Pressley advised the University on proper salarylevels for employees according to marketconditions. He was also responsible for conductingsalary surveys and setting pay and wages acrossthe campus.

The responsibilities of the CompensationDepartment were assumed by the individual schools,according to Ryan. "At the time of Pressley'stermination the function of the Department hadbegun to be performed less centrally and more byindividual schools," Ryan said.

Pressley sued the University on seven counts,all of which were challenged in the motion forsummary judgment. Among the seven counts was aclaim that Pressley received "disparate treatment"because he is Black.

Judge Gordon L. Doerfer decided, however, thatPressley could not support this claim in court.

"The plaintiff does not compare his experienceto any similarly situated individuals from which areasonable jury could draw the conclusion ofdisparate treatment," Doerfer wrote in hisdecision