COLUMBUS, Ohio-Deborah Mitchell, a clinical associate professor at Ohio State University and proud alumna, was surprised to find herself suing the university after being terminated in 2019. Mitchell was dismissed for allegedly violating conflict of interest rules due to her consulting work with the Ohio Department of Medicaid, which Ohio State claimed involved steering a $1.6 million contract to her private company, Cypress Tree Corporation. Mitchell, who was previously honored as Outstanding Core Professor by the MBA class of 2017, felt deeply offended by the accusations and sought to clear her name. She filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio State, alleging violations of Title IX, discrimination, and a failure to follow proper investigation procedures. Mitchell argued that her situation was handled differently from similar cases involving male professors and criticized the university for not allowing her to question her accusers.
