Bellefonte-area woman sues Penn State, alleges ex-compliance officer discriminated against men
A Bellefonte-area woman filed a federal lawsuit last week against Penn State that alleged the former leader of the university’s ethics and compliance office discriminated against men and retaliated against her after she reported the allegations.
Denise Shivery claimed she and other employees were ousted after they lodged complaints against former chief ethics and compliance officer Kenya Mann Faulkner.
Faulkner, who left the university in March 2021 and was hired in November to fill the same post at Emory University, was not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit. Penn State declined comment through a spokesperson Friday.
Shivery, who was hired in 2014 and worked as a compliance specialist before she was fired, alleged Faulkner treated men in a “more hostile, demeaning and dismissive manner than she treated female employees.”
The university carried out an investigation, Shivery’s attorneys Stephen Console and Rahul Munshi wrote in the 36-page lawsuit, that found “no evidence of retaliation against her.”
David Gray, the university’s former vice president of finance and business, said in a staff meeting that both women needed to “hit the reset button,” the lawsuit said. Shivery said she was not interviewed as part of the investigation.
The university, Shivery’s attorneys wrote, told her she was fired because of a restructuring. Shivery applied for two dozen other jobs, her attorneys wrote, but was not selected for any of the positions.
Shivery accused the university of violating the federal and state laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on sex. She’s seeking unspecified damages.
The office Faulkner used to lead was created as part of the university’s response to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The department is responsible for ensuring compliance all laws, as well as policies and guidelines.
Before coming to Happy Valley, Faulkner worked as inspector general in former Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration. She was also the state Treasury Department’s first integrity officer.
Penn State has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.
This story was originally published June 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM.