The University of Wyoming (UW) is asking a local district court judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by its former engineering dean.
UW abruptly dismissed Cameron Wright in April, sparking an uproar on campus among faculty and donors who approved of Wright's leadership and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding his ouster.
The former dean alleges he was removed for trying to block a $500,000 transfer from his college to the School of Computing. At that time, the school was helmed by the spouse of UW President Ed Seidel.
According to internal memos highlighted in the press and allegations included in the lawsuit, Wright viewed the transfer as being contrary to the will of the legislature.
The funds were set aside for UW's Tier 1 Engineering Initiative and the proposed transfer would have moved that funding outside the College of Engineering.
UW denied the allegation of retaliation amid the campus outcry, saying Wright was removed for failing to make sufficient progress on Tier 1 Engineering Initiative goals.
In the new court filing, UW says it "vigorously disputes" Wright's allegations, but asks the court to dismiss the case on procedural grounds.
UW alleges that Wright failed to follow the proper internal procedure for reporting retaliation before bringing the lawsuit as required by state law.
UW's filing highlights how the State Government Fraud Reduction Act protects government employees from retaliatory discipline or dismissal, but notes that an employee can't seek relief "unless the employee has first brought the alleged violation . . . to the attention of a person having supervisory authority over the employee and allowed the state employer a reasonable opportunity to correct that violation."
UW alleges Wright did not seek relief through internal university avenues, such as through the Internal Audit Department or provisions in the UW Employee Handbook, and therefore cannot seek relief through statute.
"This provision of the Act imposes a two-part procedural requirement that must be satisfied before an employee may invoke the Act's anti-retaliation protections: (1) he must report the alleged violation to a supervisor with supervisory authority over them, and (2) gave the employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the violation," UW's filing states. "Here, the Plaintiff's Complaint fails to show that he has met this standard."
The former dean is suing, in part, to be reinstated into his old position. He is currently still on the university payroll as a member of the faculty.
The university has paused its search for the next engineering dean while the lawsuit plays out in court. UW President Ed Seidel announced he will leave Old Main next summer when his current contract expires.
The filing notes UW is no longer looking to make the $500,000 transfer at the heart of Wright's allegations. That money will stay with the College of Engineering.
