The City University of New York has defeated claims that it discriminated against a woman when it refused to reappoint her as interim head of its Asian Studies program and then declined to reappoint her as a professor.

In a case that turned in part on the handling of a troublesome student, a divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said summary judgment was properly granted against Ya-Chen Chen, who alleged discrimination based on race, gender and national origin under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York City Human Rights Law.

Judges Debra Ann Livingston and Ralph Winter affirmed Southern District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who ruled for CUNY on the grounds that no reasonable jury could find that the actions of four university employees were motivated “even in part” by a desire to discriminate or retaliate against Chen.