By Luke Meredith

Associated Press

DES MOINES  — University of Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta testified April 21 that his relationship with a former top administrator deteriorated after Barta informed her that after a reorganization of the Athletics Department, she no longer would be his second-in-command.

Testifying in a discrimination lawsuit filed by former Senior Associate Athletics Director Jane Meyer, Barta said the two initially had a strong working relationship but that she became antagonistic after he told her in 2013 that he’d look for a new deputy director. Barta said part of the basis for his decision was his belief the head football and wrestling coaches wouldn’t support Meyer as the deputy.

“Our working relationship that day changed forever,” Barta said.
Meyer, who had reported directly to Barta since 2006, filed a lawsuit after being moved to another department soon after the firing of her partner, Iowa field-hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum. Meyer’s job was eliminated in 2016.

Meyer’s lawsuit alleges she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with a coach, that the school retaliated against her, and that she was paid far less than a male counterpart for similar work.

Barta said he had heard reports that Meyer had a “heavy-handed” style that had irked Iowa coaches throughout her tenure. Barta said wrestling coach Tom Brands told him that Meyer “treated him like a child” and that football coach Kirk Ferentz made clear he didn’t want to work with Meyer.

Barta said his conflicts with Meyer worsened after he fired Griesbaum.

He said that while a university investigation cleared Griesbaum of any policy violations, the inquiry raised a number of issues that concerned him.

Meyer earlier testified that Barta told her she needed to support Griesbaum’s termination — a move Meyer disagreed with because she believed Griesbaum was one of the school’s top coaches.

Barta also said he was angry that Meyer and Griesbaum acknowledged their relationship in the media soon after the firing and without informing him directly. Meyer has said she assumed Barta already knew they were together.

Barta acknowledged he had heard rumors of their relationship as early as 2011 but had never confirmed them.

A day after Meyer gave Barta a memo detailing concerns she had both personally and in the Athletics Department in December 2014, Barta told her she was being transferred out of athletics.

Barta said on April 21 that Meyer’s behavior in the wake of Griesbaum’s dismissal had created “incredibly difficult times” for his department.

“I wasn’t planning to fire her, but I had to do something. Her behavior was restricting my ability to run the Athletics Department,” Barta said.

Barta will resume his testimony today.

Meyer maintains that Barta’s decision to move her out of a sports-based position destroyed her dream of someday becoming a Division-1 athletics director.

Meyer testified April 21 that she has applied for numerous job openings in athletics since being fired by Iowa, but that suing her former employer has taken her out of the job pool.

“No one will touch me,” Meyer said.

Meyer is seeking compensation since being terminated at a rate equal to Gene Taylor, the man who succeeded her and was recently named the athletics director at Kansas State University.

Meyer is also seeking monetary damages.