Former University of Iowa athletics official’s injunction request goes before judge

A Polk County judge will decide before Sept. 9 whether to grant an injunction halting the University of Iowa's plans to terminate a former athletics official suing the UI for discrimination.

Jane Meyer filed a motion in July in Polk County District Court seeking an injunction to stop the UI from eliminating her $176,617-a-year job with the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

After an hourlong hearing Friday in Polk County District Court, Judge Michael Huppert said he will issue a written ruling on the injunction request before Meyer's termination date, scheduled for Sept. 9, according to her attorney, Jill Zwagerman.

UI Athletics Director Gary Barta was at the hearing, Zwagerman said, but was not called to testify. No witnesses were called to the stand, she said.

Meyer asserted in December 2014 that the UI transferred her out of her job as a senior associate athletics director as retaliation for her complaints about gender discrimination in the department after her partner, Tracey Griesbaum, was fired Aug. 4, 2014, from her position as head field hockey coach.

Meyer sued the UI, Iowa Board of Regents and the state in November, alleging gender and sexual orientation discrimination. A jury trial is scheduled for April 17.