A newly released settlement agreement from last fall between WSU and former provost Mitzi Montoya outlines the terms of her transition to faculty as well as payouts if she finds a new job and additional relocation expenses.
The seven-page settlement states Montoya’s appointment as provost and executive vice president was “terminated without cause” and establishes a one-year transition period to faculty from Oct. 28, 2019 to Oct. 28, 2020.
Montoya will work out of Seattle during the transition year with the university providing her an office there. The contract states she can work remotely “as desired” with access to $15,000 in discretionary funds.
“Employee will have a [100 percent] research assignment with no teaching, service, or other responsibilities, except that the Dean of the Carson College of Business may assign employee to special projects,” the settlement states, “and, if applicable, assign her to prepare for assuming designated teaching and/or other responsibilities in spring semester 2021.”
Montoya will continue to receive her $460,000 salary for the year, the contract states. After that, she would move to a salary of $250,000 a year. If she takes a new job during the transition year, WSU will still pay out her full first year’s salary.
WSU President Kirk Schulz signed the settlement on Oct. 25, 2019.
Schulz announced in September that Montoya would step down after less than two months. Email records later showed Montoya had described sexist job performance feedback and other administrative resistance shortly before leaving the job.
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Following news coverage of the allegations, the university announced this week it had hired a Seattle law firm to conduct an independent review of how the administration handled Montoya’s tenure as provost. They will investigate any potential gender bias, pressure to remove her and the role of a university consultant firm in providing work performance assessments.
WSU officials have promised the findings of that review will be made public.
Montoya’s settlement also requires the university to pay for another $57,000 in relocation costs. It lists a lump sum of $15,000 (separate from the above discretionary funds) for moving away from Pullman in addition to $42,000, “which represents the second half of her relocation expenses [from] her May 1, 2019 contract.”
By signing the agreement, Montoya released the university from any legal claims or discrimination complaints. The document, which includes language similar to many settlements, clarifies neither party admits any wrongdoing by agreeing to the terms.
The settlement document, first requested by Whitman County Watch on Feb. 3 and released Wednesday, also solidifies the language used to announce Montoya’s departure from the provost position and requires the university to provide a letter of recommendation to future employers.
A search committee continues to look for a new provost. Officials hoped to start off-campus interview with candidates this month with visits to campus in April. The list of candidates reportedly includes internal applicants.