UMKC professor settles with University of Missouri for $360,000

The University of Missouri has agreed to pay $360,000 to settle two lawsuits brought by a University of Missouri-Kansas City professor who alleged that he was retaliated against for reporting the abusive behavior of his colleague, Ashim Mitra.

According to the settlement agreement, which was obtained by a public-records request, the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri reached a settlement with Mridul Mukherji on Aug. 22, two weeks before a scheduled trial in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Mukherji, a Lenexa, Kansas resident, is an associate professor for the UMKC School of Pharmacy. His first suit, filed in 2016, included claims of national-origin discrimination and retaliation.

He sued the university; Mitra, former chairman of the pharmaceutical sciences division; and the dean of the division, Russell Melchert.

He alleged Mitra engaged in a pattern of abusive behavior against him and others who complained about Mitra to school officials.

Mukherji, a resident alien from India who is working with a green card, also alleged Mitra threatened to have him deported.

In his suit, he claimed that when he raised multiple complaints about Mitra to Melchert, he received lower pay in retaliation, even though he was a high performer in the division.

Mukherji also alleged that he raised complaints in 2014 that Mitra was using Indian graduate students on visas to do manual labor which personally benefited Mitra and was unrelated to school activities.

Mitra’s conduct was the subject of an investigation by The Kansas City Star in November 2018. He was placed on paid suspension that month and ultimately resigned in January, according to The Star.

In a second lawsuit, filed in 2018, Mukherji added claims of race discrimination, disability discrimination, hostile work environment and conspiracy.

The university did not admit to liability in the settlement agreement. It denied Mukherji’s claims.

Mukherji was represented by Gerald Gray of the G. Gray Law Firm in Kansas City. He did not return a call seeking comment.

Gray’s firm will receive $146,593 in fees and costs as part of the agreement. His co-counsel, Dione C. Green of the DCG Law Firm will receive $33,406.

Christian Basi, a university spokesman, said the matter was “resolved to both parties’ satisfaction.”

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