A lawsuit filed against the university almost two years ago will finally go to court Friday.

On Nov. 14 2000, Teshome Abebe, former vice president for academic affairs and current professor of economics, filed a lawsuit against Eastern’s Board of Trustees and former President Carol Surles based on racial, sexual and ethnic discrimination.

A pretrial hearing will begin at 2:15 p.m. Friday in the U.S. District Court in Urbana. Milton Otto, Abebe’s attorney, said the hearing will be a meeting between the judge and the lawyers to list evidence and witnesses to be presented at the actual trial, which begins Dec. 2.

Annette Samuels, professor of journalism, is the only person to have confirmed being subpoenaed for the trial.

In the lawsuit, Abebe alleged Surles made advances at him, to which he did not respond. He was later fired from his administrative position, and he returned to a professor position, reducing his salary.

Abebe is now teaching as a full tenured professor in the economics department.

Surles was diagnosed with breast cancer in September of 2000, and resigned her position to seek treatment in July of 2001, after two and a half years as president.

Surles previously said in a press release, “There is not a scintilla of truth in Dr. Abebe’s allegations.”