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In 2023, a Duke University researcher sued the school, contending that Duke punished her after she reported sexual harassment and assault by her supervisor.
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Now, after a jury trial, all her claims are dismissed.
Brahmajothi Mulugu, 58, worked at Duke researching brain and blood health for 25 years. She claims her supervisor, Mohamed Abou-donia, who died in 2023, harassed her consistently while they were researching brain damage in soldiers — a pattern that culminated in an assault.
At around the same time Mulugu reported the misconduct in 2020, Duke launched an investigation into the integrity of her research — an inquiry which ultimately led to the cancellation of her grant, the retraction of three of her published papers, and her eventual dismissal from Duke.
Duke’s investigation focused on Mulugu’s data management, storage and sharing practices.
Mulugu claimed in the lawsuit that the research misconduct investigation was biased, launched against her as a punishment for reporting the sexual misconduct.
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The judge, Catherine Eagles, didn’t see it that way.
On June 2, Duke asked Eagles to rule that no reasonable jury could side with Mulugu. Eagles granted that motion immediately.
The final judgment, entered Wednesday, dismisses all Mulugu’s claims and permanently closes the case.
“Duke University takes all allegations of discrimination and retaliation seriously,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. “As a matter of longstanding practice, we do not comment further on litigation involving current or former employees.”
The News & Observer tried to reach Mulugu for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 5:10 PM.