Ex-recruiting director for University of Hawai’i football files suit claiming discrimination over narcolepsy diagnosis

Ex-recruiting director for University of Hawai’i football files suit claiming discrimination over narcolepsy diagnosis Exclusive: Former UH staffer Ella Devenny says she faced harassment after divulging her condition to higher-ups, even though she never fell asleep on the job - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments The former director of recruiting for the University of Hawai‘i’s football program claims she faced discrimination from her bosses and coworkers after revealing she had been diagnosed with narcolepsy, even though she never fell asleep on the job, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit reviewed by The Independent. However, Ella Devenny says in her complaint that she routinely saw male colleagues sleeping during meetings, travel, and other team-related activities without ever facing “comparable scrutiny, criticism, or disability-related assumptions.” Devenny, who handled recruiting, football operations, logistics, travel and administrative functions in support of the football program at UH’s flagship Mānoa campus, “repeatedly” voiced concerns about the alleged disability discrimination, along with purported gender discrimination, to the public university’s leadership, including the team’s general manager and head coach Timmy Chang, the complaint states. But, it goes on, “Rather than adequately investigate or correct the conduct about which [Devenny] complained, [UH] subjected [her] to increased scrutiny, public criticism, disciplinary actions, exclusion from responsibilities and opportunities associated with her position, and ultimately the decision to end [her] employment with the football program.” Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that impacts the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles, and can cause sufferers to fall asleep very suddenly, without warning. It is considered a covered disability under the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The exact cause of narcolepsy remains unknown, according to the Mayo Clinic. In her self-filed complaint, Devenny alleges that the university has “attempted to characterize [her] separation as the routine expiration of a temporary appointment and as the result of performance deficiencies,” which she calls “false, inconsistent, selectively applied, and pretextual,” maintaining that “discrimination and retaliation were substantial motivating factors” in her firing. UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl told The Independent that he had not been aware of Devenny’s suit until being contacted for comment on Friday, but declined to say anything further. Devenny, who is now the assistant general manager for the Baylor University athletic program, in Waco, Texas, declined to comment beyond the allegations in the complaint. Devenny, who graduated from the University of Nebraska in 2023, joined the University of Hawai‘i’s football program in April 2024 as the director of recruiting, following a season-long stint as an operations assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and Women Leaders In College Sports, according to her UH bio. Her complaint, which was filed June 5 in Hawaii federal court, says she relocated to Hawai'i for the UH job, and “invested substantial personal and financial resources in doing so.” As recruiting director at UH, Devenny was responsible for overseeing recruiting operations, coordinating official visits, managing recruiting logistics, and supervising recruiting support personnel, her complaint states. She worked alongside General Manager Matt Chon, reported directly to head coach Chang, a former UH quarterback, and was the only woman in such a role, according to the complaint. Amid her nine-month tenure at UH, Devenny discovered she was narcoleptic, and disclosed the diagnosis to higher-ups, the complaint continues. The condition didn’t have any effect on Devenny’s job performance, it says. “Following disclosure of her disability, [Devenny] was subjected to repeated comments concerning sleeping, oversleeping, reporting to work on time, and concerns that she would sleep during work hours, despite the fact that [she] had not failed to report to work because of her narcolepsy and continued performing her assigned responsibilities,” the complaint goes on. Yet, it says Devenny “observed male employees engage in conduct involving sleeping during meetings, travel, or recruiting-related activities without being subjected to comparable scrutiny, criticism, or disability-related assumptions.” “[Devenny] also experienced incidents involving references to melatonin and other sleep-related topics that [she] reasonably perceived as mocking, minimizing, or drawing attention to her disability,” according to the complaint. In various instances, Devenny was “publicly humiliated in front of coworkers and colleagues by Chon,” the complaint contends. After one such episode, Chon, the general manager, later told Devenny that he “had been under significant stress and had unfairly directed his frustration toward [her],” it says. Devenny further claims to have experienced unequal treatment by the UH football program, as compared to “male employees with less responsibility, less authority, and lower compensation” than her. When traveling with the team, male coaches, staff, and graduate assistants were upgraded to first class and given their own hotel rooms, while Devenny flew coach and had to double up in hotels, the complaint states. Additionally, Devenny alleges she was denigrated by male members of the football staff, including a recruiting intern who “repeatedly referred” to her as a “donkey” in front of students, and, at least once, called her a “c**t,” according to the complaint. Devenny “found these comments offensive, degrading, and inappropriate,” the complaint says, adding that the intern’s behavior undermined her authority. So, she “escalated” her concerns to Chang, the head coach, according to the complaint. Still, management took no substantive action, it asserts. Instead, it claims, Devenny – who says she had received only positive feedback about her work up to that point, and was apparently told by Chon that she was vital to the team’s recruitment success – was “subjected to increased scrutiny, micromanagement, public criticism, exclusion from opportunities, and other adverse treatment that she had not experienced prior to engaging in protected activity.” On December 13, 2024, following her reports of harassment and discrimination, Devenny was informed that her employment contract was being terminated, the complaint states. It says she was increasingly marginalized during her last month of work, and that when she was formally let go, UH spun the firing as “the routine expiration of a temporary appointment.” At the same time, the UH Title IX Office believed Devenny’s allegations were serious enough to investigate, and on March 12, 2026, the EEOC issued her a so-called Right to Sue determination. (Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on a person’s sex or gender.) Devenny claims she has suffered, among other things, loss of employment, loss of income, loss of professional opportunities, emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation, and reputational harm. Her complaint says she “continues to suffer the effects of [UH’s] conduct.” She is now seeking compensatory damages, back pay, front pay, and court costs, plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest. A scheduling conference is set for August 3. 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