Diane Cornelius Charles, J.D., Director (she/her)
203.432.1377
Diane Cornelius Charles is the Director for the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility. She joined Yale University as the Associate Director for the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility in July 2021. As Director, Diane oversees the University’s response to discrimination and harassment, the facilitation of the ADA accommodations process for faculty, staff, and job applicants, Yale’s sexual harassment prevention training for faculty and staff, and the faculty hiring AA/EEO compliance review. She maintains general oversight of the University’s preparation of its Affirmative Action Plan and serves as the ADA and Section 504 Coordinator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Faculty and Staff.
Before joining Yale, Diane was the Director of Title IX Compliance, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Bridgeport. She served as Special Assistant to the President on Diversity and Inclusion and taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport, Ernest C. Trefz School of Business. Diane worked for twelve years as a Litigation Staff Attorney with an international law firm in New York City and in labor and employee relations in the private and public sectors, before transitioning to higher education.
Diane received her B.A. in Political Economy from Skidmore College and her J.D. from Hofstra Law School.
Alexa Lindauer, J.D., Senior Associate Director
203.432.0569
Alexa Lindauer joined the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility as the Senior Associate Director in May 2022. In her role, Alexa assists with the management of OIEA’s response to concerns of discrimination and harassment involving University faculty and staff. She also works with Yale faculty, staff, and applicants in need of workplace accommodations due to their medical conditions or their religious beliefs.
Prior to joining OIEA, Alexa worked in the Office of Institutional Equity at the University of Connecticut for five years, most recently as the Associate Director of Investigations. OIE addressed concerns of discrimination or harassment at all University of Connecticut campuses. In her role, Alexa helped to oversee the case investigations team and OIE’s operations at UConn Health. She provided training to the University community and was involved in many campus collaborations, committees and working groups, including the University’s Age Act Committee, a campus climate working group, and a working group charged with developing, implementing, and training on procedures for addressing problematic behavior from patients. Prior to her work in the higher education setting, Alexa was an attorney in private practice for six years, focusing on employment discrimination.
Alexa has her bachelor’s degree in Government from Colby College and her juris doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Jamaal Thomas, J.D., Associate Director (he/him)
203.432.0852
Jamaal Thomas joined the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility in April 2014. In his role, he addresses concerns of discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment based on protected characteristics. Jamaal also manages an active caseload of Yale faculty, staff, and applicants who require an accommodation due to their medical condition or need to practice their religious beliefs.
Prior to joining Yale, Jamaal was General Counsel for CASES, a non-profit located in New York City, and a non-profit development professional.
Jamaal is active in civic efforts. He serves as the Chair of the Board of the Youth Justice Network in New York City and Co-Chair of the Board of Leila Day Nursery in New Haven. He also leads the Yale African American Affinity Group’s Men’s Health Initiative, which is focused on empowering people from the Black and Latinx communities in the Greater New Haven area with health education.
Jamaal has a bachelor’s in Political Science from SUNY Purchase and his juris doctorate is from St. John’s University.
Angelica Matos Jennings, J.D., Assistant Director (she/her/hers)
203.436.1541
Prior to joining OIEA, Angelica worked as the Conduct Residence Hall Director at the University of Connecticut for three years. In that role, she met with students who were in violation of the University’s Community Standards, provided support to students of concern, served as on-call Director for various crises within the residence halls, and provided training and oversight to residential hearing officers. Prior to her role at the University of Connecticut, Angelica served as a Community Director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for four years.
During her time in higher education, Angelica served on several campus committees and working groups and started campus-wide initiatives in areas of Title IX; diversity and inclusion; assessment of residential climate and conduct hearing adjudications and outcomes; employee retention, and hiring and search processes (including the Presidential Search Committee for Lehigh University).
Angelica has her B.A. in Political Science and Global Studies and her M.A. in Political Science from Lehigh University. She has a Graduate Certificate in Counselor’s Education from North Carolina State University and most recently graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law with her Juris Doctorate and Graduate Certificate in International Human Rights Law. Angelica has clerked at the Tolland Superior Court and interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of Connecticut’s Office of Institutional Equity.
Jonathan Bailey, Equity and Accessibility Support Specialist (he/him)
203.432.0849
Jonathan Bailey has been employed with the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility since 2015 and serves as the department’s Support Specialist. Jonathan is responsible for providing a wide range of technical and administrative supports for office staff, university employees, and students. Prior to his current role, Jonathan was employed as a Research Assistant at the Yale School of Public Health and is pursuing a degree in Social Work at Springfield College. Jonathan is also a professional photographer and maintains a commercial studio in New Haven, Connecticut.