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Southern Methodist Prof Sues Cox School Over Alleged Tenure Bias Favoring Indian Faculty
Marc EthierTue, May 19, 2026 at 9:22 PM GMT+8
3 min read
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Sean Wang, an accounting professor at SMU’s Cox School of Business, alleges in a federal lawsuit that the university discriminated against non-Indian faculty members in tenure and promotion decisions
A Chinese-American accounting professor has sued Southern Methodist University, alleging that the university’s Cox School of Business systematically favored Indian-origin faculty members in tenure and promotion decisions while discriminating against non-Indian candidates.
The lawsuit, filed last year in federal court in the Northern District of Texas and first reported by independent journalist Christopher Brunet, was brought by Sean Wang, an assistant professor of accounting at SMU. Wang alleges violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and claims the university subjected him to unequal treatment, retaliation, and discriminatory tenure standards.
Poets&Quants has sought comment from SMU but has not received a response.
SUBJECTIVE ‘FIT’ AT CENTER OF DISPUTE
According to his complaint, Wang was denied tenure in 2024 despite what he describes as a stronger publication and citation record than several colleagues who were approved. According to Google Scholar, Wang has had nearly 1,500 academic citations since 2021 and more than 2,000 overall.The suit claims the accounting department “granted tenure to 100 percent of Indian-origin candidates” while denying tenure to “100 percent of non-Indian candidates” during a specific period under department leadership. The complaint specifically names Hemang Desai, chair of the Accounting Department, alleging he applied more favorable standards to Indian-origin faculty members.
Wang’s lawsuit argues that he exceeded the school’s stated research expectations, publishing 10 papers in top-tier journals that had been cited nearly 2,000 times. The complaint alleges that despite those credentials, he repeatedly received criticism that he lacked “fit” within the department – a term the suit characterizes as subjective and discriminatory.
The court filing also alleges disparities beyond tenure review itself. Wang claims Indian-origin faculty members received more desirable office assignments in a newly opened building, while East Asian faculty were relegated to less desirable locations.
LAWSUIT ALLEGES BROADER PATTERN OF TREATMENT
Wang earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, master’s degrees from New York University and the University of South Florida, and a PhD from Cornell University. His lawsuit contends that SMU incorrectly classified Wang as “White” in university records for years despite his self-identification as Chinese/East Asian. According to the complaint, the designation was not corrected until 2022.
Wang appealed the tenure decision internally to SMU President R. Gerald Turner in 2025, according to the filing, but the appeal was rejected. According to the suit, Wang’s employment at the school ended when he was denied tenure; the suit seeks injunctive relief that would require the university to grant him tenure and promotion to associate professor, conduct what it describes as a conflict-free review for future promotion, and prohibit the use of subjective “fit” criteria in tenure decisions.
SMU has denied wrongdoing. According to court filings cited by multiple outlets, the university maintains Wang “was not discriminated against and is not due any relief.”
ONLINE DEBATE FOLLOWS REPORTING ON CASE
The case has drawn attention in niche academic and online commentary circles following reporting by Brunet and subsequent coverage by AsAmNews. Discussions online have focused on broader debates over faculty hiring, diversity policies, and tenure practices in higher ed.More in U.S.
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The lawsuit itself, however, focuses specifically on allegations of unequal treatment within one department at SMU’s Cox School of Business and does not allege misconduct by Indian faculty generally.
