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LAWRENCE -- Two federal court judges have ruled in favor of the University of Kansas in dismissing two lawsuits filed by former faculty members.
In each case, the judges issued orders that permit the university to recover the costs of defending the lawsuits from each plaintiff.
"The university's success in defending these lawsuits is a reflection of the positive nature of the university's shared governance process. It demonstrates that the university and its administrators are dedicated to fair and equal treatment of faculty and staff," said Barbara McCloud, associate general counsel and lead defense counsel in both cases.
In the first case [Annett v. University of Kansas, Case No. 01-2367-JAR], Judge Julie A. Robinson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas rejected a retaliation claim by Cynthia Annett, a former assistant professor. Annett had claimed that the university did not hire her as assistant director of Equal Opportunity, did not give her adjunct faculty status and did not grant her principal investigator status in retaliation for a gender discrimination lawsuit she filed after being denied tenure. In her previous gender discrimination lawsuit, a jury ruled in favor of the university and denied her claim.
In her ruling, Judge Robinson stated that Annett failed to show that she suffered an adverse employment action and that the university's reason for not hiring Annett was invalid.
In the second case [Pagel Meiners v. University of Kansas, Chancellor Robert Hemenway, in his official capacity, and Provost David Shulenburger, in his official capacity, Case No. 01-2354-KHV], Judge Kathryn H. Vratil of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas rejected a claim by former assistant professor Karin Pagel Meiners that the university, Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost David Shulenburger had retaliated against her and denied her due process by various alleged actions, including denial of tenure.
Judge Vratil ruled that Pagel Meiners had failed to prove a case of retaliation against the university.
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