President J. Wade Gilley was sued by Associate General Counsel Ron Leadbetter in federal district court in November 2000 for reverse gender and racial discrimination in the action of appointing Catherine Mizell to the open position of general counsel of UT, and the promotion of Theotis Robinson Jr. to the position of equity and diversity administrator (elevated to staff vice president status in August 2000). Leadbetter’s suit contended that Gilley’s initial attempt to promote Mizell directly without a search and subsequent conduct of a search as advised was required, constituted reverse gender discrimination against him, one of the candidates deemed qualified for the post by the sole conductor of the search, Trustee Roger Dickinson.
Leadbetter additionally filed on grounds of reverse racial discrimination for the manner in which Theotis Robinson Jr., an African American part-time legislative aide in the Federal Relations Office without a baccalaureate degree and with no experience or education in equity and diversity administration, was named, without a search or announcement of vacancy, first to the position of equity and diversity administrator, and then elevated to the position of staff vice president. The district court granted Gilley’s motion for summary judgment. Leadbetter appealed to the US Court of Appeals, Sixth District, and the lower court’s decision was affirmed.