Ex-Professor Accuses Elmhurst University Of Bias

ELMHURST, IL – A former adjunct music professor at Elmhurst University sued the school last month, alleging he was let go as the result of antisemitism.

The university, however, said it did not keep the professor, Louis Yoelin, because it hired a full-time, tenure-track professor to handle his courses.

Besides the university, the other defendant is James Hile, who became acting chairman of the music department in 2022.

In his federal lawsuit, Yoelin, who is Jewish, said he engages in public activism and volunteer work for groups such as the nonprofit Stop Online Antisemitism, which he joined in August 2022. He said he goes on social media to discredit antisemites and antisemitic rhetoric.

A year ago, an anonymous Facebook user posted that she intended to contact the university to get Yoelin in trouble.

Afterward, anonymous people started contacting Hile and other faculty members to provide false, racist and antisemitic statements about Yoelin, the lawsuit said.

In May 2023, Yoelin said he received an exemplary performance review from the head of the music composition and theory department. The department head asked Yoelin to develop a new songwriting class and that he start teaching more music theory classes, according to the lawsuit.

A month later, Hile informed Yoelin that his employment had been terminated because of the hiring of a full-time professor. But he promised to keep Yoelin's name and contact information should an opportunity arise to again use his talents and expertise.

Yoelin responded by asking whether Hile had received emails from people reporting him for fighting antisemitism. Hile said he had, but when asked, declined to forward them to Yoelin.

Yoelin said in the lawsuit that the full-time professor had far less experience than him.

He also said the music department has significantly expanded since his termination.

Last fall, the university responded to Yoelin's complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The school denied that it discriminated against Yoelin.

The university's attorney, Peter Land, said that in February 2023, the school received Yoelin's responses to online antisemitism and his "aggressively personal questions to a stranger." But those communications played no role in the decision against renewing Yoelin's employment, Land said.

The decision not to keep Yoelin occurred four months later, Land noted.

"We wanted to offer students the opportunity to take applied music lessons in theory and composition with the new full-time faculty member, given (his) expertise in this area," Land said.

He said Yoelin's replacement holds master's and doctorate degrees in music composition and was a full-time professor of music theory and composition at another institution.

"(T)here are no other known records of any type of discrimination claims against Elmhurst University as a result of an employee's Jewish faith or defense of such faith," Land said. "The university celebrates all faiths and those of no faith, has celebrated Jewish holidays on campus, and has a Jewish co-chaplain."

In an email to Patch on Friday, university spokeswoman Desiree Chen said the school could not comment on personnel matters or pending litigation. She said the university stands behind its policies against discrimination and harassment.

"We reiterate that there is no place for antisemitism or any form of discrimination at Elmhurst University," Chen said.

Hile did not return a message for comment Friday.

Yoelin is represented by Marc Trent of the Trent Law Firm in Oakbrook Terrace.

According to the lawsuit, Yoelin, who started at the university in 2012, has appeared more than 100 times in TV shows, films and commercials. They include "How I Met Your Mother," "Criminal Minds," "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "The Young and the Restless."

Elmhurst University's Statement Against Discrimination and Harassment

It is the policy of Elmhurst University to afford equal opportunity to and not discriminate against students, employees, and applicants regardless of race (including traits associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, or other protected status as those terms are defined by applicable federal, state, and local law.