Ex-colleague accuses new U. official of bias

A Yale University School of Medicine official accused of discrimination by a former Yale employee was hired by the University's School of Medicine. Jay Angeletti, senior director of development at Yale's School of Medicine, took over the position of associate campaign director and director of alumni development at the University's School of Medicine June 20. Last year, Angeletti was accused of gender discrimination by Former Yale School of Medicine Associate Director of Development Ann Diamond. Diamond said Monday that Angeletti, who was her direct supervisor at Yale, treated her unprofessionally and often assigned her menial tasks. Diamond filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against Yale in January 1994 after being fired in October, without specifically naming Angeletti in the complaint. However, the complaint states that Diamond was subjected to "a pattern of unprofessional treatment by [Yale's] higher-ranking employees," and Diamond said in an interview that Angeletti was one of the "higher-ranking employees" who treated her unprofessionally. Diamond's attorney, John Williams, added that the lawsuit is directed against Yale, not the individual administrators who allegedly discriminated against Diamond, simply because "Yale has more money." "It's not that [Angeletti] wasn't culpable," Williams said. "Much of what we're suing Yale for is the result of Mr. Angeletti." A Yale School of Medicine employee who will serve as a witness in the case said Angeletti "was harassing [Diamond] daily...he berated her and gave her menial secretary jobs to do." The witness said she did not want her name to be disclosed, for fear of retaliation. Cushing Robinson, associate executive vice president of the Medical Center's department of development and alumni relations, said she hired Angeletti because he was the most qualified of the six individuals she interviewed for the position. Robinson said she was not aware Diamond had accused Angeletti of gender discrimination. But Public Affairs Director of the Medical Center Lori Doyle said that the Center was made aware of the charges by The Summer Pennsylvanian, The Daily Pennsylvanian's weekly publication during the summer months. "We didn't know about the lawsuit at the time that [Angeletti] was hired," Doyle said. "But now that the [Summer Pennsylvanian] has brought it to our attention, we have looked into the matter. "[We] found that Yale University is the only defendant in the lawsuit and is defending the lawsuit vigorously," she added. Doyle said Angeletti's references from Yale "were stellar, and continue to be stellar." Before Diamond filed a lawsuit against Yale, she filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, on charges of age and sex discrimination and retaliation. She alleged that Yale downgraded her salary in April 1991 and promoted Angeletti -- whom she described as a "younger, less experienced male" -- to the position of her supervisor. In October 1993, Diamond was fired. A dismissal letter signed by Angeletti stated that Diamond was released because of "unacceptable work performance" and "unacceptable attitude and conduct." But Diamond said Angeletti made her working environment "an absolute hell" after she filed the discrimination grievance with Yale, and that her dismissal was in retaliation to the grievance. Angeletti refused to comment on Diamond's accusations because "the case is pending." He did comment on his appointment at the University, though, saying that he is "excited to join a great university to work in the development department."