Former Iowa State principal sues university and resigned vice president for discrimination

Months after Iowa State University agreed to a $124,000 “severance package” as part of a surprise separation from its relatively new senior vice president of operations and finance, Shawn Norman, the university now faces a lawsuit accusing it and Norman of gender and age discrimination.

Christine Maduro, 57, of Indianola, filed a lawsuit in Story County District Court on July 31 accusing ISU and Norman of discrimination in her June 13, 2023, termination.

“Ms. Maduro’s employment relationship was permeated with discriminatory and hostile views, particularly from Mr. Norman, toward older women in the workplace who worked in Ms. Maduro’s management position,” the lawsuit states. “Ms. Maduro was discriminated against because she was an older woman when Mr. Norman refused to work with Ms. Maduro, when Mr. Norman promoted someone else to a position who was less qualified than Ms. Maduro, and when she was subsequently terminated without good cause and without evidence of any wrongdoing.”

Maduro began as ISU’s deputy director of facility services on August 16, 2021 – just over a year before Norman started on January 1, 2023, following a nationwide search.

In that role, she reported to Facilities Services Director Bob Currie until he retired in May 2023. Shortly before his retirement, she was selected to replace him as director – making her the first woman to hold that position at ISU, according to the lawsuit.

In her new post, where she oversees more than 300 employees – including building maintenance and repairs, grounds maintenance and janitorial services – Maduro reported to Paul Fuligni, assistant vice president for facilities planning and management. She was paid more than $107,000 a year, according to the most recent data released in state records, from fiscal year 2022.

Around the same time Maduro was being chosen to replace Currie, according to the lawsuit, Norman said he needed to be involved in that selection. Fuligni told him it was “too late” and that Maduro had already been offered the position.

When Maduro took office, she said, Norman began canceling her meetings and tours of ISU’s facilities and buildings. “The purpose of these tours was to bring deficiencies and problems related to maintenance and other conditions within the facilities to Mr. Norman’s attention,” the lawsuit states.

When Norman announced Fuligni’s retirement on June 5, 2023, he said a younger aide – who had applied for the job Maduro got – would temporarily fill in for Fuligni. Given her years of service, Maduro said she was surprised someone below her had passed her over for the job opening.

At a town hall meeting with the department the next day, Norman “threatened several times that certain individuals would not survive his planned restructuring of the department.” And a week later, Maduro met with Norman and a staff representative about “an ongoing investigation into Ms. Maduro.”

Maduro said she was unaware of an investigation and was not interviewed or given a chance to defend herself against the allegations of wrongdoing. When she asked Norman for more information about the investigation and its findings, he said he could not discuss it, Maduro’s lawsuit says.

“Mr. Norman then informed Ms. Maduro that her management style was not consistent with Mr. Norman’s vision for the department,” the lawsuit said. “At the end of the meeting, Mr. Norman informed Ms. Maduro that he was relieving her of her position as Director of Facility Services.”

According to the lawsuit, her termination documents simply stated that Norman was “exercising his right to terminate Ms. Maduro as an employee without notice” and that a man had been selected as her interim replacement.

After previously receiving only positive reviews, Maduro appealed her termination on June 30, 2023, and ISU President Wendy Wintersteen granted the motion, finding that Maduro’s dismissal “was due to an investigation into Ms. Maduro’s department, but Ms. Maduro herself was not the subject of the investigation.”

“Dr. Wintersteen also said that her termination was upheld after meeting with Mr. Norman about Ms. Maduro’s appointment,” the lawsuit states. “Dr. Wintersteen’s letter stated that Ms. Maduro was unable to create a collaborative work environment and implement Mr. Norman’s vision within the department.”

Maduro pointed out in her lawsuit that she was never warned, reprimanded or asked to improve, and that there was never a meeting with Norman to discuss his vision.

According to the lawsuit, the ISU cited several reasons for Maduro’s dismissal.

For example, when Maduro applied for unemployment benefits, the ISU denied her claim, arguing that she was fired for “gross misconduct and failure to follow orders, policies or contracts.” Upon inquiry, Maduro learned that the investigation that led to her firing began on April 12, 2023 – before she even started her job as director of Facilities Services, according to the lawsuit. Maduro later withdrew her claim.

According to a December settlement, Norman – who earned a salary of $383,800 – received a $124,000 severance package upon his departure. As part of the agreement, Norman agreed not to sue ISU or any of its officers. The university has not admitted wrongdoing or provided details about the circumstances that led to his departure.

In her lawsuit, Maduro accused Norman and the university of sexual discrimination because they subjected her to “severe and unequal treatment” when she was fired.

“Plaintiff’s gender was a motivating factor for the discrimination,” she said in the lawsuit, adding that her age was also “a motivating factor for defendant’s adverse employment actions.”

Earlier this year, Norman’s assistant Caitlynn Miller agreed to settle the harassment and retaliation allegations in order to receive the same $124,000 in compensation. As part of her settlement, finalized on May 17, Miller agreed not to sue ISU on any claims – including those related to age discrimination, equal pay and civil rights.

Miller, who served as assistant to the interim senior vice president of operations and finance, was to keep her job – according to the agreement, “nothing in this agreement changes the terms of her current employment.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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