Mayville (N.D.) State University has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a 16-month-old federal discrimination lawsuit filed by former head volleyball coach Lindsey Johnson, according to court documents filed earlier this week.
As reported by Fargo NBC affiliate KVLY, Johnson alleged gender discrimination, retaliation and Equal Pay Act violations In a lawsuit filed in November 2024. MSU declined to renew Johnson's contract in May 2023, ending her 15-year tenure at the school.
Johnson claimed she was fired in retaliation for complaining about pay disparities between male and female coaches, Devin Fry of KVLY reported.
According to the complaint, Johnson earned $52,000 with 50% teaching duties in her final year, while a newly hired male baseball coach earned $60,000 with only 25% teaching duties. Johnson alleged female coaches at MSU carried double the teaching load of their male counterparts. Johnson requested her salary be increased to $60,000 and her teaching load reduced to match male coaches in the spring of 2023.
"Instead of addressing her concerns, university officials gave Johnson a 'Below Expectations' performance evaluation dated May 20, 2023 — five days before informing her that her contract would not be renewed," Fry reported. "Johnson said she never saw the evaluation until she requested her personnel file after her termination.
"The evaluation accused Johnson of being aggressive and creating a hostile work environment, including allegations that she told her volleyball team not to attend men’s basketball games. Johnson denied the accusations and said she was never given an opportunity to respond or placed on a performance improvement plan, as required by university policy."
Johnson had filed discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in October 2023 and received a right-to-sue letter in October 2024 before filing the federal lawsuit, according to KVLY's Fry. Filed under Federal Rule 68, the settlement includes the $75,000 payment plus recoverable costs incurred through the date of the offer, Fry reported.
