NDSU owes Ellis $155,000
A judge ruled Tuesday in favor of former North Dakota State sports information director George Ellis, awarding him nearly $155,000 in pay and benefits in his age discrimination lawsuit against the university.
East Central District Judge Steven Marquart also ordered NDSU to pay Ellis’ legal bills.
University spokesman Dave Wahlberg said NDSU will appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court.
A sports information director is responsible for creating media guides and compiling statistics. The person also provides information for media before and after games and acts as a middle-man between athletes, coaches and the media.
Ellis was fired in the summer of 2004, at age 59, after leading the NDSU sports information department for 30 years. University officials cited his job performance.
Marquart, in his ruling, said a man 16 years younger replaced Ellis and that NDSU failed to prove it had a legitimate reason.
“ Plaintiff (Ellis) has proved ... that age was the basis of NDSU’s decision to terminate Ellis’ employment, in violation of the North Dakota Human Rights Act,” Marquart said in his ruling.
Ellis, in a statement issued through his lawyer, said Tuesday that he is grateful and “feels vindicated.”
Wahlberg said NDSU provided enough evidence to show Ellis failed to meet job performance standards.
“ We make end-of-employment decisions based on factors of job performance,” Wahlberg said.
In 1988, Ellis was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame. He was also a part of 134 national awards given to the NDSU Sports Information Directors during his tenure.
Ellis testified on his own behalf. His attorney, Patricia Monson, also called retired South Dakota State sports information director Ron Lenz and members of the media, including Fargo Associated Press Correspondent Dave Kolpack, who testified under subpoena that Ellis answered media questions and provided information.