A second-year Roseman University dental student has taken her fight from the clinic to federal court, filing a civil-rights lawsuit that claims she was suspended after reporting a classmate whose conduct she says made the clinical setting unsafe for minority students and patients. In her complaint, she asks a judge to order a transfer to Roseman’s Nevada campus and to wipe disciplinary records she argues could haunt her during future licensing, residency and credentialing reviews.
According to ABC4, the plaintiff, identified in court filings as Yuyang Qiu, alleges that Roseman University and four administrators violated Title VI, Title IX and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 when they disciplined her after she reported harassment. The complaint focuses on the South Jordan campus and asks for a preliminary injunction that would move her to Roseman’s Henderson, Nevada, campus while the case is being litigated.
What the complaint alleges
The lawsuit sketches out a timeline that Qiu argues shows retaliation rather than legitimate discipline. She says she was first accused of performing unauthorized treatment on January 9 and handed a 27-point action plan. When she refused to sign that plan, the school suspended her.
Two days later, on January 11, a supervising faculty member evaluated her work and, according to the filing, told her to “go ahead and treat,” describing what she did as “clinically acceptable.” Qiu insists in the complaint that the allegations against her are “entirely fabricated.” ABC4 reports that an administrator was recorded on January 19 saying the other student’s claims “may or may not be true” and that the school had “no good way of proving” them.
Roseman’s policies and campus context
Roseman University operates campuses in South Jordan, Utah, and Henderson, Nevada, and its public materials emphasize compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws, including Title VI and Title IX. Roseman University also notes that its College of Dental Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and describes grievance processes and Title IX coordination procedures. The university says online that it aims to provide a “safe campus environment” and lists a Title IX coordinator for its campuses.
What Qiu is asking the court
Qiu’s complaint asks a federal judge for a preliminary injunction that would allow her to transfer to the Henderson campus so she can finish her degree without the shadow of the South Jordan discipline hanging over her. She is also seeking removal of the disciplinary record and other relief, arguing that the unresolved suspension could negatively affect state licensing board reviews and residency applications.
Legal stakes
Because Roseman accepts federal financial assistance, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights enforces its Title VI and Title IX obligations, which can trigger investigations and corrective action when schools are accused of race- or sex-based harassment. The lawsuit also relies on 42 U.S.C. § 1981, a federal law that protects the right to make and enforce contracts without racial discrimination and is sometimes used to challenge allegedly discriminatory academic or credentialing decisions. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and the statutory text posted at law.cornell.edu outline how such claims are typically evaluated…