Mauriell Amechi knew something was wrong well before he walked into his regular supervisor meeting last week and found a human resources representative seated at the other end of the table.
Amechi was hired by Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment in February to head up its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office. Over his nine months in the role, he has sought to serve as a support system for students, faculty and staff while navigating chronic understaffing and an institutional rebranding from DEI to “inclusive excellence.”
But last Thursday, Amechi, the Nicholas School’s assistant dean of inclusive excellence, was informed that he was being laid off, effective immediately…