Mandy Davis’ attorneys filed the suit on March 27 against the University of Wyoming, UW Foundation, her direct supervisor, Mary Ivanoff, and the foundation’s CEO, William “Ben” Blalock III.
Davis was HR manager at the UW Foundation. A computer support specialist who was interviewed and hired by Davis’ team did not identify as being disabled, but Davis’ suit noted that Ivanoff determined she was after seeing her.
Due to the specialist having “one eye going one way and one eye going the other way,” Ivanoff said Blalock deemed the specialist as not appropriate. While Davis said the specialist was “wonderful” and that “she did a great job,” the lawsuit alleges that Ivanoff told Davis not to hire another “retard.”
Davis filed a complaint with the university’s Office of Diversity and Employment Practices in July 2015, but was let go after her position was cut in December of that year. In March last year, UW Foundation rehired Davis as an employment and staffing partner for $38,000 a year. She had made $58,000 a year in her previous position.
UW President Laurie Nichols and the foundation declined to comment, according to a spokesman.