California State University, Fresno, has settled former athletic director Jim Bartko's wrongful termination claim, essentially agreeing to honor the remainder of Bartko's contract, according to The Fresno Bee.
In a 13-page claim that was filed in June 2018 with the CSU chancellor’s office, Bartko sought $3 million in damages for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, defamation and breach of contract. He was near the end of the third year of his five-year contract worth $290,000 per year when he was told Nov. 6 that he could resign or be fired.
When the claim was filed, the university cited the agreement that Bartko had signed and that he had received severance of $75,000. Bartko claimed that he was not given time to fully read the resignation documents presented to him or review his options, but under duress signed a brief statement of resignation and a settlement agreement and release that included a waiver “of any right (he) may have under law or regulation to seek reconsideration or to revoke his resignation.”
The release and waiver, he claimed, were invalid and unenforceable as a matter of law.
In January 2017, after receiving treatment at Sierra Tucson, Bartko revealed in an interview with The Bee that he had been molested as a child by a Catholic priest. He went through a second period of treatment that July.
In March 2018, Castro and Astone addressed concerns that Batrko had been seen drinking alcoholic beverages at business-related lunches or when working on behalf of the university, and had unpaid dues at the San Joaquin Country Club.
Last July, Bartko was put on a performance improvement plan, which he claimed was a pretextual act of discrimination and/or retaliation.
