Student Case Sparks Controversy
Fuller, 29, accused the law school of racial discrimination during a 2021 symposium titled Shifting the Poverty Lens: Caritas in Focus, which Sena hosted. The student said the University failed to provide adequate support with financial aid. Fuller graduated in 2022 and told reporters, “I am happy, at least relieved, that the truth is coming out. I’ve been in such an isolated place and just carrying this trauma for so long.”
Court filings allege that then-Dean Mark Alexander instructed that Fuller not receive the aid because she “maliciously maligned” the law school. Additionally, former Vice Dean Michael Risc allegedly commented that Fuller was “lucky” to be admitted and that she “would not be there if she were white.”
Investigation and Termination
Villanova’s human resources department reportedly informed Sena in June 2024 that she was under investigation after students claimed she pressured them to file complaints against the deans. Sena denied the accusations. She was terminated a month later, despite a clean record, awards, and previous promotions.
The lawsuit seeks economic damages, compensatory and punitive awards, and attorneys’ fees and costs.
This case highlights ongoing tensions in higher education around race, discrimination, and faculty retaliation, and it remains under active litigation.
