A white assistant dean at Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law may proceed with her employment discrimination lawsuit against the school, a federal judge in Houston has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison rejected the university's bid to dismiss the lawsuit by Patricia Garrison, who was hired by former Dean McKen Carrington in 2007 to serve as assistant dean of academic support. A resident of Spring, Garrison received a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law following a career in business.

The suit alleges that Garrison was treated unfairly "for one reason and one reason alone - she is Caucasian."

A TSU official called the allegations baseless.

TSU denies allegations

"The university has and continues to deny it has acted in a discriminatory manner toward Patricia Garrison," Eva Pickens, associate vice president of communications, stated in an email. "TSU takes very seriously the claims made by Ms. Garrison against the university, and intends to vigorously defend itself against these baseless allegations."

At first, Garrison was recognized for her hard work by her students and by Carrington, who gave her two favorable performance appraisals, according to the lawsuit. All that changed, however, when Carrington left and Professor Dannye Holley began his tenure as interim dean in September 2009, the lawsuit states.

Pay allegedly withheld

"Despite all her accomplishments (including increasing the bar passage rate by over 10 percent in three years' time) the new dean quickly embarked on a campaign to make her life extremely difficult," Garrison alleges in the lawsuit.

"Instead of allowing her to run her own department, as she does with her peers, Dean Holley micromanaged every detail and refused to give her the authority she needs to do the job," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges that the university withheld $5,000 in pay owed to Garrison for a course she taught in fall 2009.

robert.stanton@chron.com