JEFFERSON CITY — A former Columbia College assistant professor has sued the Missouri nonprofit institution, alleging she was fired in retaliation for raising concerns about faculty qualifications, teacher-certification coursework and potential misrepresentations connected to federal student-aid programs.
Dr. Stephanie L. Woods filed the complaint August 18 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Central Division.
According to the complaint, Woods was a full-time, tenure-track assistant professor of education who had worked at the college since the 2021-22 academic year.
The filing says college review materials had found her on track for tenure and promotion and that administrators had praised her teaching, professionalism and work with students.
Woods alleges she had received no written warning, reprimand, performance-improvement notice or other discipline for bullying, harassment or hostile conduct before her termination.
The lawsuit says Woods was terminated effective immediately on Feb. 27, less than three weeks after she raised written concerns about being assigned to teach CDEV 106, Child Health, Nutrition, and Safety, for the spring 2027 term.
Woods told department leaders she lacked expertise in infant health, nutrition, safety protocols, first aid and childcare licensing-related content, according to the complaint.
She also said students preparing for childcare licensing needed an instructor with appropriate qualifications.
The complaint alleges Woods raised the matter with Department Chair Mary Miller and Dean Kristi Clevenger on Feb. 9, then brought the issue to a department faculty meeting the following day and asked for it to be included in the official minutes.
At the meeting, faculty discussed the background needed to teach the course, including infant evacuation procedures and other safety issues, the filing says.
Clevenger rejected Woods’ concern, according to the lawsuit, stating that CDEV 106 was a basic 100-level course and that all education faculty had the minimum qualifications to teach it.
After the meeting minutes circulated, Clevenger emailed Woods that she expected her to “stop your push” to establish her version of the qualifications and that it was “time to stop,” the complaint alleges.
Woods also alleges she participated during 2024 and 2025 in faculty efforts to assess whether the college required teacher-certification students to complete unnecessary or redundant credit hours. The complaint says faculty voted twice to eliminate EDUC 400, Senior Seminar, after concluding it was not required by Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education matrix and its content could be covered elsewhere. The filing alleges the college did not honor either vote.
Those concerns involved the college’s post-baccalaureate certification programs and financial-aid materials, according to the complaint. Woods alleges she reasonably believed that requiring and financing courses not required for certification, while representing that aid covered only certification-required courses, created a federal compliance concern. She also alleges that inaccurate representations about faculty qualifications and licensing-related course content could be misleading in a federal student-aid context.
The termination letter accused Woods of bullying and creating a hostile work environment, but it did not identify specific incidents, dates, witnesses, complainants or evidence, the complaint says.
The lawsuit alleges the college did not interview Woods before firing her, provide the allegations in advance or allow her to respond before the decision.
Woods further alleges Columbia College bypassed procedures in its Faculty Handbook that call for direct discussion with a faculty member, a statement of grounds for dismissal, a faculty-elected committee inquiry and hearing rights. The complaint says the handbook provides that cause for discipline or dismissal cannot be determined by hearsay.
The lawsuit contends the stated reason for Woods’ termination was pretextual and points to the timing of her dismissal, previous positive evaluations, alleged procedural departures and an April job posting by the college seeking education and child-development expertise for a position that could include Child Health, Safety and Nutrition.
Woods seeks reinstatement or front pay, back pay, lost benefits, special damages, litigation costs, attorney fees, interest and other relief.
The filing also seeks remedies available under Missouri’s whistleblower law, including liquidated damages where permitted.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and asserts retaliation claims under the federal False Claims Act and, alternatively, the Missouri Whistleblower’s Protection Act. Columbia College is the sole defendant. The plaintiff is represented by Kirk D. Holman and Aiman A. Dvorak of Holman Schiavone.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Central Division case number: 2:26-cv-04201
