TUCSON (CN) - A nursing student claims in court that Pima Community College suspended her for complaining that her classmates spoke Spanish, and that the nursing program director called her a "bigot and a bitch" for objecting to it.
Terri Bennett claims police escorted her from Pima Community College's (PCC) Desert Vista Campus in April after she complained to several staff members about the constant use of Spanish by students in the nursing program. Bennett called it distracting.
Bennett sued the college in Pima County Superior Court, alleging harassment, privacy violations, breach of contract, violations of the Arizona Constitution, retaliation, defamation, discrimination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The college and its board of governors are the only defendants.
In her Anatomy and Physiology class this year, Bennett says in the complaint, "Ms. Bennett was the only first-language English speaker, and the other students spoke primarily in Spanish. The same occurred during skills labs, clinicals and other classroom activities.
"Ms. Bennett does not speak or understand Spanish.
"At the end of the class, the students were requested to fill out anonymous evaluation forms giving feedback on the instructor, material and class in general.
"The students were assured that the evaluation forms were anonymous.
"On her form submitted during or about March 2013, Ms. Bennett noted she would prefer if there were 'no Spanish in the classroom.'
"On or about March 18, 2013, Ms. Bennett started a class in Introduction to Nursing, presented by PCC instructor Ms. Elizabeth Coleman.
"During this class, the talking, interruptions and distractions, all in Spanish, from her peers increased dramatically, to the point that it impede Ms. Bennett's ability to concentrate, focus, listen to the lecture, and participate in group studies, clinicals, and other learning activities.
"On or about April 3, 2013, Ms. Bennett participated in an interaction between Spanish speakers and non-Spanish speakers in her class, in which the Spanish speakers were asked not to speak in Spanish in front of non-Spanish speakers. The Spanish-speaking group of students laughed and mocked Ms. Bennett and the other non-Spanish speakers.
"At this point, Ms. Bennett was finding that the PCC learning environment was hostile to English speakers who did not speak Spanish. She felt ostracized, excluded, and segregated from the rest of her class, the majority of which all spoke Spanish (including the instructors). She felt that she was unable to participate fully in group studies, skills labs, clinicals and other learning activities. The constant translations during class were a distraction, a disruption and prevented her from concentrating and taking full advantage of her studies.
"At this point, Ms. Bennett decided to report the issue of a hostile learning environment to PCC instructors." (Parentheses in original.)
Bennett claims she complained to David Kutzler, director of the nursing program, on April 3. In this meeting in his office, "Ms. Bennett attempted to report to Mr. Kutzler her complaint that she was having difficulty with students speaking Spanish during class and during her group study sessions, and that she found the learning environment to be hostile to her as an English speaker," according to the complaint.
It continues: "Mr. Kutzler reacted very badly to Ms. Bennett's complaint. He accused Ms. Bennett of 'discriminating against Mexican-Americans' and threatened to 'write [her] up for a violation of the code of conduct based on discrimination and harassment.'
