UAH file photo.jpg

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (File photo)

A University of Alabama in Huntsville physics professor has filed a federal lawsuit against the university and provost Christine Curtis claiming racial discrimination in the administration's hiring practices.

Dr. Richard Lieu filed suit on Tuesday claiming that Curtis and Sundar Christopher, UAH's Dean of Science, removed him from his post as chair of the university's Physics Department after he protested their decision to rescind a job offer he'd made to a Chinese woman.

UAH Provost Christine Curtis, left, and physics professor Dr. Richard Lieu (UAH.edu)

The reason for the rescission, Lieu claims, is that it is university policy to "not hire anyone from overseas."

University officials on Friday declined to speak in detail about the lawsuit.

"Although the university has not been served, we believe this filing has no merit," Ray Garner, a UAH spokesman, told AL.com in a statement.

Lieu's lawsuit states that he offered the lecturer's position to Dr. Ally Bizhu Jiang, a Chinese citizen and "standout physics student" at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, after his department's search committee selected her as a top candidate for the job. The UAH administration failed to secure her work visa in time, however, and she was unable to begin the job by the start date listed in her contract.

"As a result, she did not have a work visa by the time classes began, and Dean Christopher withdrew her offer after attributing fault to Dr. Jiang for not showing to work on time," the lawsuit states.

Lieu, who protested the decision, claims that Curtis emailed him in October 2014 to say that university policy is to "not hire anyone from overseas" and that "We [the University] have sufficient talent in the United States to fill lecturer positions."

Scroll down to read the entire lawsuit filed by Dr. Lieu.

Lieu, who is himself a native of Hong Kong and holds dual citizenship in both the United States and the United Kingdom, alleges that when he continued to contest the administration's actions, he was removed from his duties as chair of the Physics Department.

His four-year term as chair was ended in January 2015, less than a year and a half after his appointment, Lieu claims. He additionally alleges that Curtis called him into her office the following month and, saying that she was upset that he "'just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer' with regard to Dr. Jiang," tried to force him to resign.

A white professor was hired to replace him as chair of the department, Lieu says, and the position Jiang was hired to fill remains vacant.

Lieu's lawsuit was filed based on the following claims: race discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution for creating a "racially hostile work environment." He asks that a judge enjoin UAH and Curtis from engaging in further violations, that he be reinstated as chair of the Physics Department and that he be awarded compensatory and punitive damages, as well as costs and lawyers' fees.

Lieu is represented by Teri Ryder Mastando and Eric Artrip.