A former employee has taken legal action against a prominent educational institution, alleging discriminatory practices that led to her wrongful termination. Deborah Lanford filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on October 16, 2024, accusing Florida Atlantic University (FAU) of age and race discrimination. The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $50,001 and claims violations under the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992.

Lanford, who held the position of Senior Associate Director at FAU’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), alleges that her termination was motivated by her age and race. She claims that after raising concerns about policy violations and mismanagement within the SBDC, she faced retaliatory actions from Dr. Sandra D. Marin, FAU’s Regional Director of the SBDC. According to Lanford, Dr. Marin threatened her job security if she did not comply with certain “innovative” practices that allegedly conflicted with established policies.

The complaint details several instances where Lanford reported perceived ethical breaches to higher authorities within FAU. For example, she objected to a $20,000 payment authorized by Dr. Marin for webinars hosted on the SBDC platform without proper branding or adherence to guidelines set by funding bodies like the U.S. Small Business Administration. Despite these reports, Lanford claims her concerns were dismissed or ignored.