Jane Meyer lawsuit against University of Iowa goes to jury

DES MOINES - A Polk County jury started deliberations shortly after noon Wednesday in a high-profile employment discrimination case that's given Iowans an off-the-field, sometimes locker-room look at the University of Iowa Athletics Department.

Jane Meyer, who worked as a UI associate athletics director from 2001 to 2014, is claiming gender and sexual orientation discrimination based on Athletic Director Gary Barta's decision in December 2014 to transfer her from athletics. The shift happened a day after Meyer lodged a complaint about the firing of her partner, Tracey Griesbaum, as head field hockey coach.

The UI then fired Meyer last September.

'This case is not about Tracey Griesbaum,” George Carroll, an assistant Iowa Attorney General representing the university, told the jury in his closing argument.

Much of the 12-day trial focused on Barta's Aug. 4, 2014, dismissal of Griesbaum after several student-athletes said she was verbally abusive.

Instead, Carroll said, jurors should focus on Meyer's 'unprofessional” actions when she screamed at Barta in a meeting, struggled to get along with coaches and allowed mistakes in construction projects.

Meyer's attorneys, Tom Newkirk and Jill Zwagerman, argued Barta used a double standard when firing Griesbaum for behavior he allowed with male coaches. The UI then discriminated against Meyer by shifting her from athletics after she demanded an investigation of bias in the department.

'This isn't about Tracey Griesbaum,” Newkirk said, echoing Carroll's words. 'It's about what the Field Hockey investigation exposed. They found differences in treatment, they found abuse and bullying. Instead of relying on the university's constant evaluation of a woman losing her temper, perhaps we should ask ourselves why wasn't anyone else screaming?”

The trial's witness list included UI Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz and Head Wrestling Coach Tom Brands.

Carroll reminded jurors of Ferentz's complaints Meyer failed to deliver a rendering of a proposed practice facility that met his expectations. Her version didn't show banners and 'Hawkeyes” isn't fully displayed in the end zone.

'Football drives the revenue engine at the University of Iowa,” Carroll said. 'Ms. Meyer knew what Mr. Ferentz needed, but she gave him something useless. He was rightfully upset.”

Brands - who Carroll noted is a three-time national champion and an Olympic gold medalist - said Meyer didn't listen to his recommendations on renovations of the wrestling locker room, sauna and practice areas.

Several female senior level athletics administrators testified earlier they did not experience discrimination in UI athletics. Paula Jantz, a now-retired associate athletic director, said a 'cloud lifted” when Meyer was transferred.

Newkirk called Barta a politician who surrounds himself with 'yes men and yes women.”

'We asked for every scrap of documentation to rationally support this woman actually failing,” he said of Meyer, who had positive performance reviews until 2011, when Barta noted some people thought she was 'heavy handed.”

'What he had was gender stereotype language,” Newkirk said.

The jury of five women and three men must decide yes or no on six questions, including Meyer's five claims (gender discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower violation and equal pay violation). If the jury decides Barta unfairly paid Gene Taylor, hired as deputy athletic director in 2014, more for equal work, they must decide whether he did so willfully.

A 'yes” to any of the first five questions would require the jury to decide on financial damages. The verdict will be delivered in a sealed envelope to Judge Michael Huppert, not read in court.

Griesbaum also has sued the UI and the state; her trial is scheduled for June 5 in Polk County.

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