BATON ROUGE - A nationally recognized nurse and associate professor at Southern University has filed a lawsuit against the university for being demoted after taking time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).

According to records filed with the Middle District of Louisiana, Dr. Cheryl Taylor is suing the President of Southern University for "the removal of her administrative responsibilities as Chair of Graduate Nursing Programs" after she took a leave of absence between January 6 and January 31. 

In the lawsuit, Taylor alleges the university violated the FMLA act by retaliating against her for taking time off as when she returned she'd been removed from her position and essentially denied her former title, pay, benefits, and working conditions. 

The lawsuit states, "she suffered unlawful retaliation," and was demoted with, "a proposed change in her status from the twelve-month Chair of Graduate Nursing Programs to a nine-month faculty position, effective May 31, 2020." 

Taylor has been working for Southern for about twenty years and, according to the lawsuit, is currently serving a three-year term as Chair of Graduate Nursing Programs; her term runs from May 2018 through May 2021. The Chair position is a 12-month administrative position, in contrast to a faculty position at SUBR which is a 9-month position.

In 2018, Taylor was recognized by the National Black Nurses Association and presented with an award at the NBNA’s 46th Annual Institute and Conference in St. Louis, Missouri