Judge orders ISU to reinstate former student who was removed from program due to race, awarded $728k
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POCATELLO — A former Idaho State University student has been awarded a large sum after a lawsuit that claimed she was wrongfully kicked out of the L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy program due to her race.
According to a final judgment document filed on Nov. 6, Chanica Sintima was awarded a total of $728,371.55 on Nov.6 by District Judge Robert Naftz.
Following the jury trial in April, Sintima was initially awarded $160,000 for the university’s breaches.
Of the total judgment, $544,276.00 will be used to pay attorney fees and $24,095.55 will be used for court costs and expenses.
During trial, a jury found that Dr. Erin Berry and Dr. Kassidy McKay retaliated against Sintima, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Idaho Human Rights Act, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as well as the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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Court documents say Sintima was among the few Black students enrolled in ISU’s Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences.
Naftz ruled that Sintima will be reinstated to the university in good standing, and a “no pass” grade will be changed to an “incomplete,” giving her the opportunity to retake her pharmacy rotation and pursue her degree at ISU.
If she decides not to re-enroll at ISU, Naftz ordered that ISU must “use its best efforts to ensure that her earned Doctor of Pharmacy credits are transferred to an equal or similar pharmacy program at an accredited university.”
“I have dreamed of becoming a pharmacist since the fifth grade. The past two and a half years have been among the most difficult of my life,” says Sintima in a news release from her attorney, J. Grady Hepworth. “I am deeply grateful to Judge Naftz for carefully considering my case and restoring my opportunity to complete my pharmacy education. This decision allows me to continue pursuing a lifelong dream that I have never given up on.”
In the fall of 2023, Sintima was enrolled in an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience under Dr. Berry at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. During this course, her lawyers say she reported “concerns of racial discrimination and unfair treatment by (Berry).”
Sintima was in her fourth year at ISU’s L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy and expected to graduate in May 2024. She had maintained a cumulative 3.62 GPA and earned multiple Dean’s List recognitions in her studies, according to a previous news release.
“Shortly after raising her concerns about the suspected unfair treatment, as well as engaging in First Amendment association with the Pocatello Chapter of the NAACP, Idaho State University restricted Ms. Sintima’s access to the EIRMC facility, failed her in the APPE course, and ultimately expelled her from the College of Pharmacy Program on Jan. 24, 2024,” the release states.
Sintima’s lawyers did not specify McKay’s role in the case, but according to the ISU’s website, she is chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Sciences.
“To me, justice means being heard, having wrongdoing acknowledged, and receiving a fair opportunity to move forward,” says Sintima. “I hope my journey encourages anyone facing discrimination or retaliation to stand firm, believe in themselves, and remember that their voice matters. I look forward to this new chapter with renewed hope, determination, and gratitude.”