Idaho State University’s longtime events director, George Casper, claims age and religious discrimination led to his ouster. An attorney for Casper filed a tort claim last week, a precursor to a possible civil lawsuit. Casper spent 26 years coordinating events at several Idaho State venues, including the ICCU Dome.

Background

Casper received “exemplary” performance reviews for his work juggling myriad campus events. However, on February 2, Idaho State officials told Casper his contract would not be renewed, ending his three decades at the university. University officials said they eliminated Casper’s $181,727-a-year position in a sweeping budget restructuring that included 44 job cuts.

Casper’s attorney, Erika Birch, suggests other factors were at play in Casper’s ouster, including “favoritism.” The restructuring placed Lowell Richards in charge of a merged department overseeing events and auxiliary services. Richards is “significantly younger” than Casper and a member of the same church as Idaho State President Robert Wagner and Vice President of Operations Brian Sagendorf, Casper’s former supervisor.

Response from Idaho State

Idaho State declined comment on the tort claim, citing pending litigation. Earlier this year, Idaho State officials discussed their restructuring plans and Casper’s job performance. Athletic Director Pauline Thiros described Casper as “invaluable” and said he worked hard to ensure that fans and athletes had everything they needed to be successful.

Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.