• A former University of Oregon employee is suing the school for $550,000, alleging whistleblower retaliation and discrimination.
• The lawsuit claims she and three colleagues were laid off after reporting a supervisor's alleged misconduct, including racist and sexist comments.
• The supervisor, Richard Menard, was also laid off but has since been rehired by the university in a different role.

A former employee who claims she and others were discriminated against and laid off for calling out their colleague's inappropriate and unlawful conduct has sued University of Oregon for $550,000.

Cherokee Staples, former director of business operations, was terminated from UO in June 2025. She had been working in UO budget and financial services in various capacities since 2011.

Her complaint, filed on March 11, states she was promoted to the director of business operations position in 2023. Shortly after settling into her new role, UO performed a national search for her direct supervisor, selecting Richard Menard, who became the senior director in December 2023. Above both Menard and Staples was Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Jon Marchetta.

Suit alleges concerning behavior

Starting in March 2024, Staples spoke to Marchetta about concerns she had regarding Menard’s "mismanagement, gross waste of funds, and abuse of authority," according to the suit.

Between March 2024 and October 2024, she and other colleagues raised numerous objections about Menard allegedly...

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