Former UTRGV employee files suit, claims demotion was racially motivated

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A former University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine employee is suing the university and the woman who filled his position after he was allegedly demoted due to his race.

Dr. Karl Goodkin is suing UTRGV and Dr. Diana Chapa, who is employed by the university as Department Chair for the Department of Psychiatry at UTRGV’s School of Medicine.

In 2022, Goodkin and Chapa were two of the final candidates vying for the department chair position.

Ultimately, Goodkin was awarded the position and officially began Jan. 5, 2023. He was set to serve as chair for two years, the lawsuit states.

Goodkin claims Chapa, as a woman of Latin American/Hispanic ancestry, was "upset that Goodkin had received the position instead of her, and she was also upset that the position was given to a Caucasian/White male instead of a female person that was Hispanic/Latina."

Goodkin identifies as a Caucasian or White man who "possesses distinct racial features and ethnic characteristics that are different from Hispanic Americans."

The lawsuit alleges Chapa has spent "a significant amount of time pushing for the hiring of more Hispanic/Latina females in the UTRGV Medical School." It states she began campaigning against Goodkin to get him removed, "including making false claims about his performance, and recruiting other Hispanic females to her cause."

The lawsuit adds that UTRGV serves a student population that is over 90% Hispanic/Latino.

"It was clear that [Dean of UTRGV's Medical School, Michael Hocker] was concerned about the false claims being made by Chapa and other Hispanic/Latina female individuals given the community that UTRGV serves, and as a result—without doing any proper investigation—on April 12, 2023, Hocker removed Goodkin from his Psychiatry Chair position, and he was replaced by Chapa," the lawsuit states.

After Goodkin was "unceremoniously removed" as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, he was demoted to a faculty professor under Chapa, who was appointed to his former position.

On Thursday, court documents show UTRGV President Guy Bailey or the Office of Legal Affairs were summoned in the civil suit.

"We have not been served the lawsuit nor have we seen it. Nonetheless, we do not comment on pending litigation," UTRGV Vice President of University Marketing and Communications, Patrick Gonzales, replied on her behalf.