Catholic college accused of bias by nonbinary former DEI director for refusing to use their pronouns

A former director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Providence College has lodged a discrimination charge with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, detailing a troubling account of alleged mistreatment based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. E. Corry Kole, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, claims that their resignation on March 8 was the culmination of ongoing harassment and a lack of supportive measures from the college, which they say failed to address their grievances appropriately.

The complaint was filed on Monday, intensifying the spotlight on the private Catholic institution’s handling of LGBTQ+ issues, TheBoston Globereports. Kole experienced “direct, repeated, patterned, and systemic discrimination” throughout their nearly four-year tenure at the college, according to Joseph Daigle, their attorney, Kole had a significant role in developing initiatives to foster LGBTQ+ inclusion on campus.

The complaint filed by Daigle outlines several instances of alleged discrimination, including comments from a senior staff member suggesting Kole not publicly use they/them pronouns due to anticipated disapproval from colleagues. The college has dismissed the claims as “unsubstantiated” and committed to addressing them once a formal review is conducted.

The filing of this charge is not just a quest for personal redress but a push for broader institutional change, highlighting the significant mental health impacts such experiences have had on Kole, who reportedly suffered from severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress, leading to medical leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

As the state commission begins its investigation into the allegations, the case continues to evoke strong reactions from the Providence College community, with students, alums, and staff rallying for justice and inclusivity through various platforms, including a widely supported open letter to the college’s president.

Shortly after Kole’s resignation, an open letter from departments, faculty, staff, and students was published in the university’s student newspaper, The Cowl, expressing “collective anger at the hypocrisy toward and systemic oppression of LGBTQ+ people at PC.” The letter demands changes to ensure LGBTQ+ equity on campus, citing a “timeline of student advocacy” and accusing the administration of undermining progress. “We offer here a timeline of student advocacy throughout the college’s history, aimed at both cultural and legal equity for queer people, and offer recent examples of the College’s continued, flagrant failure to protect and support its LGBTQ+ members—down to prohibiting pride flags and indeed, even the use of the word ‘pride’ or its variants in connection with gender and sexuality,” the letter states.

The faculty and students outlined a series of demands in the letter, including the public display of Pride flags, equitable health care, and the creation of supportive institutional roles. “If Providence College desires to be a respectable accredited university known for equal treatment of all students, staff, and faculty, it must reckon with its discriminatory practices toward its LGBTQ+ community members,” the letter concludes.

The tensions at Providence College reflect broader issues within the Catholic Church regarding the acceptance and integration of LGBTQ+ individuals. These allegations come at a time when the church is experiencing internal conflict over its stance on LGBTQ+ rights, despite recent progressive steps by figures like Pope Francis.