Providence College Faces Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination Complaint by Former Staff

A Rhode Island Catholic college’s former diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) director has filed a discrimination complaint against the school amid ongoing campus controversy about LGBTQ+ inclusion.

E. Corry Kole (they/them), who served as Providence College’s director of DEI education and professional development until early March, filed the complaint with the State Commission for Human Rights, claiming that “[Kole] experienced direct, repeated, patterned and systemic discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” reported the Providence Journal.

Kole resigned after alleging that the school’s administration was preventing them from fulfilling the duties of their position. Hundreds of faculty members, staff, and students responded to the resignation by sending an open letter to the college’s administration. The signers appealed for an end to the suppression of LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts on campus.

Kole was DEI director for three and a half years, and now says they faced ongoing harassment, a lack of support for their work (particularly in regard to developing initiatives for LGBTQ+ inclusion), and a lack of accountability in response to their grievances. Kole states that they were told by members of administration that they could not identify as queer and were discouraged from using they/them pronouns in public. According to the Providence Journal, the charge also claimed:

“. . . the college repeatedly stymied Kole’s work, scanned their Facebook page for evidence to justify firing them, allowed campus safety to intentionally misgender them, threatened disciplinary action against them for organizing events during LGBTQ+ Awareness Week, and caused anxiety so intense that Kole eventually took medical leave.”

According to Kole’s attorney, Joseph Daigle, the school failed to respond to multiple opportunities to address Kole’s complaints of discrimination, so filing a discrimination charge is the only avenue left for Kole to achieve justice.

A spokesman for Providence College, Steven Mauranon, responded to the news by stating:

“E.’s role, as a member of the college’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, involved working and collaborating with our Office of Mission and Ministry to provide a host of services and range of care to our community…We have not had time to review in detail the formal charge, but we look forward to addressing unsubstantiated claims of discrimination.”

After Kole’s resignation and the open letter, the college’s president, Fr. Kenneth Sicard, released a statement affirming support for LGBTQ+ students and the college’s commitment to Catholic teachings. However, Sicard said in a subsequent interview that the college’s campus is “not a place of total free expression.” It is unfortunate that it may take the resignation of staff members and a lawsuit for such changes to be made. The Catholic identity of the institution ought to be enough to foster an environment where truly all are welcome.

—Phoebe Carstens (they/them), New Ways Ministry, May 2, 2024