A professor from Columbia University who became known after she denounced that a noose was hanging form her office door was fired over allegations of plagiarism. According to CNN, Madonna Constantine, professor of psychology and education at the university's Teachers College, said that her suspension was “vindictive and mean-spirited.” She was very sure that this happened because she spoke about the noose on her door, which was clearly a racial symbol.

An investigation which lasted about 18 months concluded that Constantine used the work of others and said it was her own. She said this was a “conspiracy “because some of her colleagues wanted her out.

“Little did I know, I was the mouse and they were the cat,” said Constantine, according to the New York Daily News.

Paul Giacomo, Constantine's attorney, said his client was innocent and that the contested passages appear in previous writings by Constantine. He added that her client’s firing was “entirely retaliatory,” saying that the university didn’t treat her fairly.

On the other side, Marcia Horowitz of Rubenstein, a spokesperson representing Teachers College, said that Constantine was given the opportunity to defend herself.

“All appropriate legal processes were followed,” she told CNN.

Constantine was sanctioned in February after an independent investigation discovered the teacher had used other people’s work without crediting them.

Constantine has until July 15 to decide whether she would challenge her dismissal in court or in a faculty hearing. Even tough the New York Police Department had found DNA sample from the rope, it said there were no suspects.