PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - Jul 31, 2013) - Employment discrimination is probably one of the most serious issues that face Hispanics in the United States, and profiling of Hispanics in Arizona is widely discussed on the national stage. Now, it appears discrimination may be extending to Phoenix College, which is part of Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). Dr. Cleopatria Martinez has been a respected math professor at MCCCD for nearly thirty years. However, she now alleges discrimination based on her Hispanic race in federal court.

Dr. Martinez also alleges that ever since she began complaining that MCCCD was not using Title V funding to address the needs of Hispanic students, Phoenix College has retaliated against her by intensely scrutinizing her work despite her long tenure. Dr. Martinez alleges that MCCCD wrongly accused her of violating copyright laws and a cash-handling violation. According to Dr. Martinez' attorney, Peter Strojnik of The Strojnik Firm LLC, "We are unsure how math equations can violate copyright laws since math is universal. We feel MCCCD is using every means possible to continue the process of harassing and ultimately terminating Dr. Martinez." In a colleague's deposition, she opined that Phoenix College president Dr. Anna Solley and Math Department Chair Joe Sueyoshi are racist in relation to Hispanics.

Indeed, since Dr. Martinez' race-based complaints, she is now subject to pre-disciplinary hearings. "I am extremely disappointed and angered about how I am being treated by Phoenix College and MCCCD. I just wanted to be treated equally," said Dr. Martinez. "She is a brave and courageous person," said Mr. Strojnik speaking of Dr. Martinez. "Dr. Martinez is the epitome of American courage, and we are fortunate there are federal laws to protect her from being retaliated against for acting on her courage."