BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Fariba Moeinpour, an Iranian-born research scientist, has been awarded $3.8 million in damages by a federal jury after a nearly decade-long legal battle against the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Moeinpour, 59, sued UAB, alleging she endured racial and national origin harassment from a colleague, Janet Cagle, while university officials failed to take action.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021, detailed years of racist abuse, including threats and derogatory comments such as “go back to Iran” and other slurs. Moeinpour also claimed that Cagle once threatened her with a gun in a UAB parking garage. Despite numerous complaints to her supervisors and human resources, Moeinpour alleged that no meaningful steps were taken to address the harassment.
Moeinpour’s lawyer, Eric Artrip, praised the verdict, stating, “This case is a reminder that people do not have to suffer racial discrimination in silence.”
UAB has expressed disagreement with the jury’s decision. “We respectfully disagree with the verdict in this case involving former employees, and we are considering next steps,” said UAB spokeswoman Alicia Rohan. The university has maintained that it does not tolerate harassment or discrimination.
Moeinpour, a naturalized U.S. citizen who emigrated from Iran in 1989, said the harassment began shortly after she transferred to a lab under Dr. Clinton Grubbs in 2011. She alleged that Cagle’s behavior escalated over the years, and when she reported the issues to her supervisor, Grubbs, he failed to intervene, claiming he was afraid of Cagle due to threats from outside parties. In February 2020, Moeinpour was fired following an altercation with Grubbs, an incident she described as an attempt to silence her complaints.
The case has highlighted concerns over institutional responses to workplace harassment, especially in academic environments. Moeinpour said she hopes her victory will encourage others to stand up against discrimination, regardless of the difficulties involved.
“I love America,” Moeinpour said after the verdict. “But what they did to me was un-American. We are all human beings under God.” It remains unclear whether UAB will appeal the decision.