The former Forest Park professor could be one of the board members overseeing the college’s leadership team sooner rather than later
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Online Editor
CORRECTION: Due to a factual error, this story has been updated from its print version. The original piece stated that the jury found in favor of the college on both counts alleged by Bush-Munson. In actuality, they found in favor of the college on the discrimination allegation, but in Bush-Munson’s favor on the retaliation allegation. The headline has also been changed to reflect this. The Montage apologizes for the error.
After a years-long battle in the court system, former Forest Park Professor Deborah Bush-Munson initially walked away victorious in her legal battle with STLCC, being awarded $195,000 in damages. STLCC’s General Counsel Amy Clendennen confirmed that the jury found in favor of the College on Ms. Bush-Munson’s race discrimination claim, but against the college on her retaliation claim. She noted, however, that the college is appealing the latter part of the ruling in regards to the retaliation claim.
In the midst of this, Bush-Munson doesn’t appear to be done with the college just yet, as she is now running for a seat on the Board of Trustees in April’s election. Specifically, Bush-Munson is running for the Subdistrict 4 seat, held currently by Mary Luebke. Luebke does not appear to be running for another term; she had been elected to the Board in the April 2020 election and had worked for the college for many years before that as a Department Chairperson.
Subdistrict 4 represents the Chesterfield, Wildwood, Sunset Hills, Lemay, Mehlville, Oakville and Fenton areas, among others. It is the largest subdistrict in terms of size and is also represented by Craig Larson, whose term expires in 2028.
According to Ballotpedia, Bush-Munson will compete for the seat against Patrick McKelvey and Fielding Poe. McKelvey has run for the same seat unsuccessfully before. All are considered “nonpartisan” candidates. None have provided any notable campaign information as of press time.
Bush-Munson’s potential victory may shake-up the board and the college itself, and set the stage for an unconventional working relationship. Bush-Munson’s case against the college was notably extensive and involved allegations against the now retired Bill Hubble, the former dean of Health and Sciences. In the suit, Bush-Munson claimed that as a result of the college’s conduct and actions, she suffered lost wages and benefits of employment. She also said that she had suffered emotional distress and mental anguish.
Bush-Munson was a professor for several years at the Forest Park campus before beginning her role as the program director for the Dental Assisting Program in 2011, a role that she served in for over a decade before being placed on administrative leave on in January 2022, and her official removal from the role on Feb. 14 of that year. Her final year at the college was, according to her, demeaning and damaging to her reputation. She claimed that her race and her complaints and charges of discrimination were deciding factors in the college’s decision to effectively terminate her employment by not renewing her contract in 2023 after refusing to select her for open teaching positions that she was qualified for.
Attempts to reach Bush-Munson for this story were unsuccessful as of press time.
When asked for comment on the conclusion of the legal case, Clendennen did not offer one except to say, “The College’s attorneys have asked the Court to overturn the verdict on the retaliation claim, on the basis that it was not supported by the evidence presented at trial.”
