Ex-recruiting Director For University Of Hawai’i Football Files Suit Claiming Discrimination Over Narcolepsy Diagnosis

The erstwhile head of recruiting for nan University of Hawai‘i’s shot programme claims she faced favoritism from her bosses and coworkers aft revealing she had been diagnosed pinch narcolepsy, moreover though she ne'er fell dormant connected nan job, according to a national civilian authorities suit reviewed by The Independent.

However, Ella Devenny says successful her title that she routinely saw antheral colleagues sleeping during meetings, travel, and different team-related activities without ever facing “comparable scrutiny, criticism, aliases disability-related assumptions.”

Devenny, who handled recruiting, shot operations, logistics, recreation and administrative functions successful support of nan shot programme astatine UH’s flagship Mānoa campus, “repeatedly” voiced concerns astir nan alleged disablement discrimination, on pinch purported gender discrimination, to nan nationalist university’s leadership, including nan team’s wide head and caput coach Timmy Chang, nan title states.

But, it goes on, “Rather than adequately analyse aliases correct nan behaviour astir which [Devenny] complained, [UH] subjected [her] to accrued scrutiny, nationalist criticism, disciplinary actions, removal from responsibilities and opportunities associated pinch her position, and yet nan determination to extremity [her] employment pinch nan shot program.”

Narcolepsy is simply a chronic neurological upset that impacts nan brain’s expertise to modulate sleep-wake cycles, and tin origin sufferers to autumn dormant very suddenly, without warning. It is considered a covered disablement nether nan meaning of nan Americans pinch Disabilities Act. The nonstop origin of narcolepsy remains unknown, according to nan Mayo Clinic.

In her self-filed complaint, Devenny alleges that nan assemblage has “attempted to qualify [her] separation arsenic nan regular expiration of a impermanent assignment and arsenic nan consequence of capacity deficiencies,” which she calls “false, inconsistent, selectively applied, and pretextual,” maintaining that “discrimination and retaliation were important motivating factors” successful her firing.

UH spokesperson Dan Meisenzahl told The Independent that he had not been alert of Devenny’s suit until being contacted for remark connected Friday, but declined to opportunity thing further.

Devenny, who is now nan adjunct wide head for nan Baylor University diversion program, successful Waco, Texas, declined to remark beyond nan allegations successful nan complaint.

Devenny, who graduated from nan University of Nebraska successful 2023, joined nan University of Hawai‘i’s shot programme successful April 2024 arsenic nan head of recruiting, pursuing a season-long stint arsenic an operations adjunct for nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She is simply a personnel of nan American Football Coaches Association and Women Leaders In College Sports, according to her UH bio.

Her complaint, which was revenge June 5 successful Hawaii national court, says she relocated to Hawai'i for nan UH job, and “invested important individual and financial resources successful doing so.”

As recruiting head astatine UH, Devenny was responsible for overseeing recruiting operations, coordinating charismatic visits, managing recruiting logistics, and supervising recruiting support personnel, her title states. She worked alongside General Manager Matt Chon, reported straight to caput coach Chang, a erstwhile UH quarterback, and was nan only female successful specified a role, according to nan complaint.

Amid her nine-month tenure astatine UH, Devenny discovered she was narcoleptic, and disclosed nan test to higher-ups, nan title continues. The information didn’t person immoderate effect connected Devenny’s occupation performance, it says.

“Following disclosure of her disability, [Devenny] was subjected to repeated comments concerning sleeping, oversleeping, reporting to activity connected time, and concerns that she would slumber during activity hours, contempt nan truth that [she] had not grounded to study to activity because of her narcolepsy and continued performing her assigned responsibilities,” nan title goes on.

Yet, it says Devenny “observed antheral labor prosecute successful behaviour involving sleeping during meetings, travel, aliases recruiting-related activities without being subjected to comparable scrutiny, criticism, aliases disability-related assumptions.”

“[Devenny] besides knowledgeable incidents involving references to melatonin and different sleep-related topics that [she] reasonably perceived arsenic mocking, minimizing, aliases drafting attraction to her disability,” according to nan complaint.

In various instances, Devenny was “publicly humiliated successful beforehand of coworkers and colleagues by Chon,” nan title contends. After 1 specified episode, Chon, nan wide manager, later told Devenny that he “had been nether important accent and had unfairly directed his vexation toward [her],” it says.

Devenny further claims to person knowledgeable unequal curen by nan UH shot program, arsenic compared to “male labor pinch little responsibility, little authority, and little compensation” than her. When walking pinch nan team, antheral coaches, staff, and postgraduate assistants were upgraded to first people and fixed their ain edifice rooms, while Devenny flew coach and had to double up successful hotels, nan title states.

Additionally, Devenny alleges she was denigrated by antheral members of nan shot staff, including a recruiting intern who “repeatedly referred” to her arsenic a “donkey” successful beforehand of students, and, astatine slightest once, called her a “c**t,” according to nan complaint.

Devenny “found these comments offensive, degrading, and inappropriate,” nan title says, adding that nan intern’s behaviour undermined her authority. So, she “escalated” her concerns to Chang, nan caput coach, according to nan complaint.

Still, guidance took nary substantive action, it asserts. Instead, it claims, Devenny – who says she had received only affirmative feedback astir her activity up to that point, and was apparently told by Chon that she was captious to nan team’s recruitment occurrence – was “subjected to accrued scrutiny, micromanagement, nationalist criticism, removal from opportunities, and different adverse curen that she had not knowledgeable anterior to engaging successful protected activity.”

On December 13, 2024, pursuing her reports of harassment and discrimination, Devenny was informed that her employment statement was being terminated, nan title states. It says she was progressively marginalized during her past period of work, and that erstwhile she was formally fto go, UH spun nan firing arsenic “the regular expiration of a impermanent appointment.”

At nan aforesaid time, nan UH Title IX Office believed Devenny’s allegations were superior capable to investigate, and connected March 12, 2026, nan EEOC issued her a alleged Right to Sue determination. (Title IX is simply a national rule that prohibits favoritism based connected a person’s activity aliases gender.)

Devenny claims she has suffered, among different things, nonaccomplishment of employment, nonaccomplishment of income, nonaccomplishment of master opportunities, affectional distress, anxiety, humiliation, and reputational harm. Her title says she “continues to suffer nan effects of [UH’s] conduct.”

She is now seeking compensatory damages, backmost pay, beforehand pay, and tribunal costs, positive pre-judgment and post-judgment interest.

A scheduling convention is group for August 3.