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Former athletics administrator sues UI

cigaretteman

HB King
May 29, 2001
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Jane Meyer, the senior University of Iowa athletics administrator forced out of the department following the firing of her partner, Tracey Griesbaum, has filed a lawsuit accusing UI of discriminatory and retaliatory treatment.

Meyer filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Polk County court against UI, the Board of Regents and the state of Iowa, arguing that she was the subject of discrimination based upon wages, gender and sexual orientation.

Meyer accuses Athletics Director Gary Barta of creating gender inequity in his department and allowing staff to make sexist comments in meetings, among other allegations. Meyer says she was demoted just a day after filing a written complaint to Barta, and she believes her reassignment was in retaliation for speaking out against gender bias.

Meyer was the top-ranking female official within the department when Barta fired Griesbaum, her longtime partner and UI's field hockey coach, before the 2014 season. Meyer had held her position of senior associate athletics director since 2001.

Meyer was reassigned to the facilities management department in December 2014, with UI citing Griesbaum and her lawyer's threats of a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Griesbaum, who was accused of mistreating and bullying players, has yet to file a lawsuit. But in July she filed a civil rights complaint with the state over her firing, and her lawyer has indicated a lawsuit is forthcoming.

Meyer was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but her Des Moines-based attorney, Jill Zwagerman, said in a statement that Meyer has been involved in a year-long battle to earn reinstatement to her former athletics department post. Zwagerman said UI has violated Iowa's civil rights laws in its treatment of Meyer.

“Over the past several years, Jane has observed a pattern of discrimination and bias against female coaches and athletes at the University of Iowa that is in striking contrast to the vision laid out for men’s and women’s sports when she was hired," Zwagerman said in the statement. "Her challenges to these issues and problems, including wage inequities based on gender, fell on deaf ears.

"In an attempt to silence her, Gary Barta and the university retaliated by derailing her career and removing her from the job she loves."

EARLIER:Barta says no gender bias in department | Report cites possible NCAA violations

According to the lawsuit, Barta removed Meyer from her duties in the Athletics Department and placed her on administrative leave one day after she delivered a written memo to him detailing how she and female athletes and coaches were discriminated against.

The lawsuit cites Meyer's salary as evidence of that discrimination. It states that Meyer was paid about $70,000 less than her male counterpart, Gene Taylor, whom Barta hired in 2014 as deputy director of athletics. Taylor was hired with a salary of $245,000, while Meyer's salary was $167,684 in 2014, according to UI salary data. That's in spite of Taylor having fewer job duties, according to the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Meyer "witnessed and raised concerns that Barta allowed staff to make sexist comments during meetings. Meyer also said she received her first poor performance evaluation in over 13 years of employment with UI after speaking out about gender inequity.

In a statement provided Wednesday by spokeswoman Jeneane Beck, UI said it did not discriminate or retaliate against Meyer. UI said it was justified in transferring Meyer out of the department after Griesbaum and her attorney publicly threatened to sue over her firing, and after Meyer and Griesbaum publicly disclosed their relationship.

"Leaving Ms. Meyer in her prior position as Senior Associate Director of Athletics presented many challenges for the department and the University’s defense of Ms. Griesbaum’s litigation," UI said in the statement. "After consulting with the Assistant Attorney General, the University reassigned Ms. Meyer to a position outside the Athletic Department."

According to UI, Meyer is currently the logistical strategist and project manager in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. UI, in its statement, characterized the transfer as a lateral move, and pointed out that Meyer had 14 years of experience in facilities development.

"She is coordinating the complex move and equipping of the Studio Arts Department in the new Studio Arts building opening next year and the move and equipping of the School of Music from multiple locations around the community to the new Music Building," UI said in the statement. "She is paid her same salary and has the same job classification as before."

Meyer is seeking reinstatement to her former position at the same pay as her male counterpart, and is asking the court to award her lost earnings and any further relief deemed appropriate. Meyer is also asking the court to order UI and the state to refrain from discriminatory employment practices, provide training on wage discrimination and ensure that employees do not face hostility after lodging complaints, among other requests.

http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...mer-athletics-administrator-sues-ui/75174698/
 
I read this and I'm just not sure. Good case for trial and jury. There are some questionable things, on their face, but seem to be able to be explained, so lets see where she can take this.
 
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I read that and it is a weird case. So, was the involved with her partner when she was hired in the AD's office? Did she develop a relationship with her partner AFTER she was hired as the coach. If they met at work and started their partnership, I don't think she has a leg to stand on. You don't stick your dinkster in the company Inkster...........oh wait..............
 
Maybe there is some truth to what happened ... but in general, I find it interesting people will (after the fact) start flinging stones about their horrible working conditions ... Yet, they CHOSE to remain in that position. If you are that strongly against how you are being treated or that strongly against the environment at your company ... then it's up to you to make a change ... So when I see the "he said/she said" comments it sort of leaves you scratching your head wondering if things were really that bad or now you are just mad so you are going to think of anything and everything to embelish your story ... Again, I don't know all the facts ... only surface-level knowledge here of this story ... But it's just how this all came about ... starting with her "partner" and their relationship ...

But, that's the world we live in (in the U.S.) ... Feel wronged? Just sue!
 
That seems like an extremely weird position to take, should I presume you would change your mind had she complained internally all along?
 
No doubt there was a conflict of interest with her staying in her previous role. Meyer did some very good work overseeing some of the U of I construction so her new position seems like a natural in facility improvement.

She's upset that her main squeeze was fired. Bottom line, this is why you avoid any type of nepotism at work.

Will be interesting to see where this goes. One thing to keep in mind regarding compensation. The more revenue and profit generated in a role the more you are paid.

Certainly women's athletics is not a money maker. I'm all for the University having women's athletics, my daughter played in a sport. But everyone needs to understand why Coach Fran may get paid more than Coach Bluder, who does an excellent job. But the revenue for women's basketball isn't there.

Personally I hate this because it gives a black eye to a fine institution. Too much of this litigious crap going on today.
 
She stayed because she knew she won life's lottery.

You are not getting a job like that in the private sector.

Where else can you get your freak on with a coworker. Pull down six figures with no real way to measure your productivity? Plus get a nice state pension.

I doubt her degree was in rocket science.

She knew how good she had it plus she knew she had a lawsuit at the end of the rainbow. We should all be so lucky.
 
I read that and it is a weird case. So, was the involved with her partner when she was hired in the AD's office? Did she develop a relationship with her partner AFTER she was hired as the coach. If they met at work and started their partnership, I don't think she has a leg to stand on. You don't stick your dinkster in the company Inkster...........oh wait..............
These would be 2 ink blotters blotting...
 
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I read that and it is a weird case. So, was the involved with her partner when she was hired in the AD's office? Did she develop a relationship with her partner AFTER she was hired as the coach. If they met at work and started their partnership, I don't think she has a leg to stand on. You don't stick your dinkster in the company Inkster...........oh wait..............
You don't erase company paper with your own eraser!!!!!!
 
Athletic Director Gary Barta will probably retire the same
day that Kirk Ferentz does. It is a new world of college
athletics and the headaches are increasing.
 
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