PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – WBOC has obtained four separate lawsuits filed in Somerset County Circuit Court this week that accuse the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and several university officials of discrimination, retaliation, and other employment-related violations.
The lawsuits were filed separately on Aug. 6 by former UMES employees Cui Fang, Nianhong Chen, Donna Satterlee, and Samuel Douglas. While the circumstances and legal claims differ among the cases, all four name UMES President Dr. Heidi Anderson as the first defendant. Various other UMES and University System of Maryland officials are also named in some of the suits.
The allegations range from discriminatory hiring and unequal pay to retaliation, improper internal investigations, and violations of due process.
UMES told WBOC on Friday that it currently cannot comment on the lawsuits. WBOC has also reached out to an attorney representing Anderson and is awaiting a response.
Cui Fang
Cui Fang, a former lecturer in UMES' Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology, alleges she was subjected to discrimination, retaliation, and ultimately termination after raising concerns about university practices.
According to the complaint, Fang, who is Chinese, began working at UMES in 2022 and received positive evaluations and recognition for her teaching. She alleges that she later raised concerns about discriminatory employment practices and other alleged misconduct at the university.
Fang's lawsuit alleges university officials subsequently subjected her to a biased internal investigation and failed to provide her with an adequate opportunity to respond to accusations against her.
The complaint also alleges Fang was treated differently because of her race and national origin and contends UMES favored Black employees and applicants over Asian and White employees and applicants.
Fang says she was fired on Aug. 19, 2025. According to the lawsuit, the termination came hours before a deadline for UMES to respond to an appeal she had filed. Fang alleges her access to university records was then removed, interfering with her ability to pursue the appeal. The lawsuit also alleges officials failed to properly investigate complaints Fang made following her termination.
Fang is seeking, among other relief, reinstatement to her former position with restored seniority, pay and benefits, as well as back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages against certain defendants.
Fang originally filed a federal lawsuit against Anderson and numerous other defendants including UMES in August of 2025, three days after she says she was terminated. According to court records, Fang later filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in March of 2026. The case was dismissed from federal court later that month.
Donna Satterlee
Dr. Donna Satterlee, a former tenured professor who says she worked at UMES for about22 years, is accusing university officials of improperly terminating her following a dispute involving a faculty promotion.
Satterlee says she served as an associate professor in UMES' Department of Human Ecology and had also held leadership roles in the university's Faculty Senate.
According to the lawsuit, Satterlee raised concerns in 2024 about alleged irregularities involving another faculty member's promotion dossier and reported her concerns to university officials and UMES' Office of Institutional Equity.
Satterlee alleges university officials subsequently launched what her lawsuit describes as a biased investigation against her. The complaint claims investigators failed to properly interview witnesses and ignored evidence favorable to Satterlee. She further alleges university officials used that investigation as justification to terminate her tenured position.
According to the complaint, Satterlee was fired in December of 2024 before the university's equity office had completed its investigation and recommendations.
Satterlee alleges her termination was retaliatory and that university officials violated her due-process rights. Her lawsuit also includes allegations of fraud and civil conspiracy, claiming officials worked together to create a justification for her dismissal.
The complaint contains 12 counts and seeks reinstatement, restoration of Satterlee's tenure and academic rank, lost wages and benefits, compensatory damages, and punitive damages. On certain claims, Satterlee is seeking at least $1 million from each Dr. Anderson and another defendant, while also seeking no less than $400,000 from each remaining individual defendant.
Like Fang, Saterlee previously filed a suit against Anderson in federal court. According to US District Court records, that suit was dismissed without prejudice in February of 2026. In October of 2025, Anderson filed a defamation suit against Satterlee. That case currently has a settlement hearing scheduled for Jan. 25, 2027.
Nianhong Chen
Dr. Nianhong Chen, who says he worked at UMES for 11 years, alleges the university discriminated against him based on race and national origin when he sought a tenure-track faculty position.
Chen, who is Chinese, says he holds a doctorate in chemistry and applied for a tenure-track assistant professor of chemistry position at UMES in October 2025.
According to the lawsuit, Chen was interviewed for the position but was not selected. He alleges the hiring process discriminated against him and that university officials retaliated against him after he challenged the decision.
Among the allegations in Chen's complaint is that a senior university official made a racially charged comment about who should be hired at a historically Black university. The lawsuit cites that alleged statement as evidence supporting Chen's claim that race influenced employment decisions at UMES.
Chen also challenges the university's investigation of his subsequent complaints. He alleges the process was biased, failed to properly interview witnesses, and disregarded information supporting his allegations. The lawsuit further contends that Chen's experience was part of a broader pattern of discriminatory employment decisions at UMES.
Chen is asking the court to order UMES to place him in the assistant professor position or an equivalent tenure-track position with retroactive seniority and pay. He is also seeking lost wages and benefits, compensatory damages, and punitive damages against certain individual defendants.
Samuel Douglas
Samuel Douglas, who says he worked at UMES for approximately 20 years, alleges the university discriminated against him over pay and his disability and retaliated against him after he raised concerns.
Douglas identifies himself in the lawsuit as an amputee.
A central part of Douglas' complaint involves alleged disparities between his compensation and that of female employees working in the same office.
According to the lawsuit, Douglas earned approximately $53,000 in 2024 while a female assistant director earned approximately $67,000 for what Douglas describes as “comparable work.” The complaint also alleges another woman who was promoted to director earned approximately $100,000.
Douglas alleges he performed similar or overlapping duties but was paid substantially less and that UMES failed to adequately address his complaints about the disparity.
The lawsuit also alleges Douglas experienced discrimination related to his disability and retaliation after raising concerns about university employment practices.
Douglas further challenges the process surrounding his eventual removal from employment. He alleges university officials failed to provide sufficient evidence or witnesses and denied him a meaningful opportunity to contest the accusations against him.
Douglas is seeking reinstatement with restored seniority and benefits, or front pay if reinstatement is not possible. He is also seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages against certain defendants, and changes to portions of his employment record.
All four plaintiffs have requested jury trials.
This article will be updated.
