Former Penn State Abington English professor Zack De Piero has filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging he faced race discrimination and a hostile work environment due to mandatory diversity training. The lawsuit, filed by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), claims De Piero was subjected to materials and workshops that labeled the English language and White teachers as inherently racist.

The lawsuit alleges that De Piero was "singled out for ridicule and humiliation" because of his race. When he voiced concerns about the training, he was allegedly told by the director of the Affirmative Action Office that there was "a problem with the White race" and that he should attend more workshops.

One presentation, titled "White Teachers are a Problem," allegedly linked "White supremacy" to global evils. De Piero stated in an interview that the university expected him to accept the premise that he, as a White person, was inherently flawed due to historical injustices.

The lawsuit also names De Piero's supervisor, Liliana Naydan, claiming she expressed the view that racism against White faculty was acceptable and advocated for equity in grading, which the lawsuit interprets as penalizing students based on race. Naydan has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Another administrator named in the suit, Alina Wong, allegedly conducted breathing exercises where White staff were told to hold their breath longer to "feel the pain" of George Floyd. Wong, now at Macalester College, has not commented on the allegations.

The lawsuit also cites a video presented in the training that allegedly claimed "White English… kills people of color." Naydan allegedly instructed faculty to teach that the English language itself is racist.

De Piero claims he faced retaliation for raising concerns, including a negative performance review and a warning about disciplinary action for dissenting from the university's views. He ultimately left his position, which the lawsuit describes as a "constructive termination." Penn State has declined to comment on the pending litigation.

De Piero expressed his distress over the experience, emphasizing the emotional toll it took and his reliance on his support network. He stated his motivation for taking action was to prevent his daughter from facing a similar situation in the future.