Indiana, Izard Settles Suit

Friday, February 8, 2002

Indiana, Izard settle suit

Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University has paid former women's basketball coach Jim Izard more than $76,000 to settle a sex- and age-discrimination lawsuit.

The 53-year-old's lawsuit alleged Indiana violated federal law when it fired him after 12 years and hired Kathi Bennett -- then 37 -- in March 2000.

The federal complaint, filed two three months later, alleged that former athletic director Clarence Doninger told Izard the university wanted to hire a female coach.

Izard also claimed that Indiana violated equal-pay law by giving Bennett a five-year contract that paid her $110,000 her first year. Her salary this school year is $114,000.

Izard had worked on a year-to-year basis, earning $76,775 his final year. That total matched the settlement amount, with $26,065 for emotional distress, $20,000 for regular wages and $30,710 for Izard's lawyers.

Indiana denied all of Izard's claims in the lawsuit. The settlement that Izard signed Jan. 8 said he acknowledged that Indiana was not admitting any fault.

After his firing, Izard vowed never to coach again. But in June, he took over the women's basketball program at Berry College in Rome, Ga.

Izard was fired at Indiana after the Hoosiers went 10-18 and lost in he first round of the Big Ten tournament. His Indiana teams went 188-158, including 84-123 in the Big Ten.