My being dismissed from my doctoral program study at University of Missouri and being arrested at Ohio University due to hard work on academic paper in the area I got permission to use is a case of blatant discrimination in terms of sex, race, and disability.

Sex Discrimination

Regarding sex discrimination, my present situation is a product of a society that advocates democratic values between males and females on the surface but encourages man’s power in practice that despises women and inflict brutality and degradation on them. As is well known, I have suffered horrible domestic violence and abuse from my ex-fiance, who is a professor and a doctor at Ohio University and a medical expert for Ohio legal system. These experiences have brought severe personal injury in terms of physical health, mental health, academic growth, and career development. Neither Ohio University, nor University of Missouri has ever taken my situation seriously, their attitude sending a message of a male chauvinism that a man’s life, career, and dignity are more important than those of his counterpart, half of the members of a species called human beings.  

1. University of Missouri has never taken any action even if I have kept contacting different offices to request help with my situation since April 2014. The negligence from University of Missouri encouraged my ex-fiance’s intentional infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of starvation, flagrant bleach of affidavit of support and civil rights, and arrogant defiance of the court’s decision.  

a. My ex-fiance claimed at court on Sept. 3, 2014 and on Oct. 3, 2014 that University of Missouri removed affidavit of support from my student record and that by doing so, MU supported his refusal to fulfill the corresponding responsibilities.

b. In Nov. 2014, I informed University of Missouri of my hospitalization due to domestic violence, although I did not tell them about the doctor’s suggestion that I take a sick leave. Instead of any assistance or help from MU, I was notified in Dec. 2014 that I was put on probation. Although I asked for more time to finish my paper in Feb. 2015, I was dismissed from MU in March 2015.

c. No matter whether the issue is concerning domestic violence and abuse, or concerning the ridiculous criminal charge of trespassing, University of Missouri has never demonstrated any care or concern until August 2015, when they received my medical record from O’Bleness Hospital, the letter from Dr. Sxxxxx, and the letters from My Sister’s Place.

2. In Sept. 2015, Title IX office at MU started to investigate my issue. During the jury trial of Sept. 29, 2015, I was judged to be guilty due to the lies by Ms. Bxxxxx from OU department of Engineering and OUPD, during which process the U.S system of justice demonstrated serious problem in professional ethics. On the night of the exactly same day, Title IX office at MU notified me that their investigation confirmed the domestic violence and abuse, but they could not impose this consideration on any decision made by my department: It is up to my department to decide whether domestic violence and abuse would be taken into consideration or not. Despite all the documents from the hospital, My Sister’s Place, and me that demonstrated that I almost lost my life during domestic violence and I worked hard on my paper on discharge from hospital, my department should refuse to consider the influence of domestic violence on my academic work, while MU should agree with the dismissal decision.

3. Although Ohio University did help me with my meal plan from 2014-2015, the conduct of OU in July and August 2015 aggravated my sufferings, when they chose to listen to distorting, biased, and misleading information and allowed OUPD to arrest me and to charge me for trespassing.

As a matter of fact, in order to fly again by fixing my broken wing that my ex-fiance had caused due to his infliction of domestic violence, I had been concentrating on my paper in hopes of regaining self-esteem and independence with hard work. In Oct. 2015, a male in Title IX office at MU told me by phone that MU has no choice but to dismiss me, because my F-1 visa and I-20 cannot get approved with a criminal charge of trespassing even if MU agrees to readmit me into my program.

Racial Discrimination

With respect to racial discrimination, the speech of “I have a dream” resounded throughout the world half a century ago; it is not uncommon nowadays, however, that Asian people have found themselves treated in an inferior way to both white people and black people in U.S.A, even though they have been extolled as a model group who work hard to achieve the “American Dream.” My case is a clear illustration of the undisguised prejudice and inequality in the potential treatment that people from different races may confront in the same situation.

The reason that my case is complicated is not only that both MU and OU, with more concern for the reputation of the male abuser as a professor and physician, have chosen to turn a blind eye towards a female victim of domestic violence, but also that neither university has ever demonstrated an equal value for the hard work of Asian people compared to that of White people.

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, and Equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. Where there is no doubt that a white female student who has survived domestic violence and worked hard to regain independence will receive support from school, gain encouragement from the society, and become the spotlight of the media as a model student; I as an Asian student, in contrast, was arrested due to long hours’ hard work at Ohio University and dismissed from my doctoral program by University of Missouri.

Given my situation, the events on the campus of University of Missouri in late 2015, witnessed by the entire U.S. nation, occurred as no coincidence. Out of love for my university have I kept silent this entire time; Instead of getting my voice heard at a time of chaos and disorder, I have tried to contact different organizations and offices including U.S. Department of Education with an attempt to resolving the issue in a sensible and peaceful way.  It would seem unfair that being aggressive gets attention while being obedient leads to the negligence or ignorance of discrimination against Asian people.

Disability Discrimination

As for discrimination against disability, MU’s support for the dismissal decision made by my department has revealed a flagrant violation of equal right to receive education for disabled people.

In August 2015, University of Missouri received my medical record issued by O’Bleness Hospital, as well as the letters from My Sister’s Place and from Dr. Sxxxxx. At that time I realized that my medical record was changed, with the vital sign report indicating, against the fact, that my situation during hospitalization seemed to be less serious in general and to get worse over time during my hospitalization. I sent an email to UM president, my department dean, my academic adviser, and a couple of provosts in an effort to explain that my situation was more severe than what is suggested in medical record. For fear that people would take advantage of my situation, a professor told me by phone that the severity as shown by current medical record is sufficient and that I would better not talk too much about how serious my situation was, which might lead to a decision that my physical and mental situation would not allow me to finish the doctoral program...

It is a stunning fact that a state university should demonstrate any discrimination at 21st century against those who have suffered from any health problem due to domestic violence and abuse. Even if disabled people are supposed to enjoy the equal right to receive education, I cannot see any justification for MU to perceive me as a problem or even trouble maker. Instead of showing any empathy to my situation and extend assistance to their utmost, University of Missouri should, against U.S. constitution, have simply dismissed me from the program and forgone me as a burden despite all the setbacks and obstacles that may face me ahead of my life as a result of their unethical and unsympathetic decision.