The former dean of the engineering college, Cameron Wright, has decided to sue the University of Wyoming after being controversially removed from his job during the spring semester. While neither he nor his attorney has been making any statements to news organizations, they allege in the lawsuit that Dr. Wright was wrongfully terminated and treated poorly during his removal.
Wright’s removal ultimately resulted in a vote of no confidence against University President Ed Seidel. Still, the decision to fire him was not Seidel’s, it was the Trustees, who voted unanimously to remove Wright from his position. They alleged that he had failed to advance the School of Engineering towards the school’s tier one goal, a persistent project by the University to get the School of Engineering into a select group of elite engineering colleges.
Dr. Wright, however, alleges that he was terminated because he refused to sign off on the transfer of $500,000 from the School of Engineering to the School of Computing. He believes that the transfer of such funds went against what the State Government had intended for the money to be spent on. Wright also alleges that President Seidel strongly urged the board of trustees to remove him. He is seeking reinstatement as Dean of the Engineering College, as well as for the University to pay back his attorney fees.
The official statement released on April 7th by the Board of Trustees stated, “The trustees took an action — one that we stand behind — in removing the dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences . . . The president had recommended to not renew the dean’s contract and allow it to expire in 2026, but the Board of Trustees decided to remove the dean now based upon observations and interactions during our March meeting, when the dean was unable to articulate a vision for meeting the goals of the Tier-1 Engineering Initiative after several years of opportunity to advance the college to meet those goals.”
While President Seidel has managed to remain University President despite the vote of no confidence, this lawsuit represents another challenge for him and the University as a whole, and it remains uncertain as to how major donors will react to the news.
