Emporia State University’s legal challenge of state decisions to reinstate several terminated professors awaits a resolution in Lyon County District Court.
Eighth District Judge Courtney Boehm held a Zoom hearing Wednesday as ESU challenges the Office of Administrative Hearings’ decisions earlier this year in the potential reinstatements of Michael Behrens, Rob Catlett, Dan Colson, Amanda Miracle and Lynette Sievert. The professors had appealed their dismissals shortly after they were let go following Board of Regents approval of Emporia State’s Framework for Workforce Management, which led to the terminations of over 30 faculty members.
No decision came from Wednesday’s hearing. No new hearing date has posted to the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal.
Meanwhile, court dates are pending in a federal lawsuit filed by these professors, as well as Charles Emmer, Brenda Koerner, Sheryl Lidzy, Chris Lovett, Max McCoy and Mike Morales, against Emporia State. The lawsuit lists 14 counts, half of which are for civil conspiracy involving Emporia State, administrators including President Ken Hush, the Board of Regents as a whole and current and former Regents members. It also requests more than $75,000 for each plaintiff, not including costs and interest.
