Following two months of pleas for reinstatement, fired Ohio State University Marching Band director Jon Waters has decided to sue for his job. WOSUs Mandie Trimble reports, the lawsuit was filed Friday] in U.S. District Court. Jon Waters wants his job back and hes asking a court to order OSU to reinstate him. Waters has filed suit against OSU President Michael Drake and Provost Joseph Steinmetz for violating his due process rights. And hes suing the university for gender discrimination. The lawsuit claims Waters would have been given time to make changes in the band had he been woman. It cites a case in which a former female employee was allowed to do that. A 60-day OSU investigation found Waters did not stop what the university called a "sexualized culture" in the band. Waters asserts he was making changes. We are here because of the damage, the irreparable damage done by that report; the one-sided report that the university continues to stand by, unfortunately," Waters said. Ohio State spokesman Chris Davey said Waters suit lacks merit and substance. With the support of the Ohio Attorney General we have obtained litigation counsel, and, together, the university stands ready to vigorously defend this lawsuit," Davey said.
The suit also seeks $1 million in compensatory damages and a chance for Waters to clear his name in a public hearing. Joining Waters legal team is former Republican Ohio attorney general Jim Petro.