Documents show that Sagers herself had been accused of making ASU staff fearful because of her complaints, and they had heard her making condescending remarks about ASU leadership, but her attorneys claim that those allegations were only raised after Panchanathan cracked down on her.
Sagers is currently still a professor at ASU after her demotion. She declined to speak with
New Times through an attorney, citing her current search for jobs elsewhere. Sagers attorneys failed to return repeated messages.
Cynthia Sagers is suing ASU.
ASU
Panchanathan is currently on long-term leave from the university after former President Donald Trump tapped him to head the National Science Foundation, an $8.5 billion federal agency that funds around a quarter of the research at higher-ed institutions.