Fired Harper baseball coach charges racism

A former Harper College baseball coach has filed a federal suit against the school claiming he was fired on account of racial discrimination.

Mark Hernandez, 41, of St. Charles, was hired by the Palatine school as head baseball coach three years ago. According to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, an ensuing background check turned up many arrests for persons named "Mark Hernandez," but he had no criminal record. He submitted to a fingerprint check, but the suit says Harper "failed to follow up" on it, only to ask him to submit to another fingerprint check more than six months later. Hernandez balked, believing "he was being singled out because of his Hispanic surname and ancestry," but eventually complied in May 2008, and the search turned up no criminal background.

Nevertheless, Hernandez's employment was terminated a week later, even though the suit insists he was praised by Athletic Director Doug Spiwak at a spring banquet in the interim. Hernandez had also worked as an adjunct faculty member and had discussed taking on a full-time position the following school year with Spiwak.

The suit charges racial discrimination, citing that Hernandez was the only Hispanic coach at the college, and retaliation for his contesting the second fingerprint check on racial grounds.

It seeks back pay, lost pay, compensatory damages and court costs.

Hernandez received a Notice of Right to Sue from the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in January.

Spiwak, who was not named as a defendant in the suit, and other school officials did not reply to requests for comment.