A former University employee is suing the school for allegedly breaching a contractual agreement.
Pamela Young, who spent four years as senior administrative director in University President Nils Hasselmo’s office, alleges that Hasselmo and others within his office made written and oral promises to restore her to an equivalent position if she would take a one-year job in the Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics Department.
She served as an assistant to women’s athletic director Chris Voelz during the 1994-95 school year. Young was a special budget officer for the department.
After the term of the athletics department position expired, she was not reassigned to any other position at the University. Young alleges this violates the oral agreements she made with the University president’s office the year before.
The University denies making any such assurances. University General Counsel Mark Rotenberg could not be reached for further comment.
Young’s career at the University began in 1987 at Boynton Health Service, where she worked for three years before moving on to the president’s office.
Young’s attorney, Marshall H. Tanick, said the lawsuit seeks income lost since her termination, an amount that exceeds $50,000.
“Pam was given specific assurances by the University president’s office that she would have a job after she completed her work for the women’s athletics department,” Tanick said in a press release. “The University misled her, either intentionally or inadvertently, and deprived her of her livelihood.”
Young went through the standard grievance process at the University, but she decided to cease negotiations because they were not producing the desired result, Tanick said.
Preliminary hearings will likely be held throughout the winter, Tanick said.