Why It Matters
Idaho State University must pay $728,371.55 and reinstate Chanica Sintima under a judgment resolving her racial discrimination lawsuit.
What Happened
Sintima, a Black doctoral student in pharmacy, sued the university in September 2024. She alleged Idaho State applied its absence and tardiness policies unfairly.
Sintima said she was removed from an Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center clinical rotation during fall 2023, received a failing grade that semester and was expelled in early 2024.
A Bannock County jury ruled in Sintima’s favor and awarded $160,000 in April. District Judge Robert C. Naftz increased the judgment in an order issued Friday, adding attorney’s fees and costs.
By the Numbers
- $728,371.55: Total judgment ordered by Naftz
- More than $725,000: Amount Idaho State must pay
- $160,000: Jury award issued in April
- September 2024: Month Sintima filed the lawsuit
- Fall 2023: Period when Sintima said she was removed from the clinical rotation
What’s Next
The judgment requires Idaho State to provide Sintima a fair opportunity to complete her education. University counsel said the university is considering its options.
Naftz wrote that the defendants had been found liable for retaliation and must find a way to give Sintima that opportunity. Sintima’s attorney, J. Grady Hepworth, said the decision clears the way for her to pursue becoming a pharmacist.
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