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Dr. Ivor van Heerden, his attorneys and several supporters including Sandy Rosenthal, founder of Levees.org will appear in a news conference to discuss the allegations against the university. The news conference will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 10 at the Westin Canal Place, Magnolia Room (3rd Floor), 100 Rue Iberville, New Orleans.
WHO: Dr. Ivor van Heerden, former deputy director of the LSU Hurricane Center, David Marshall, attorney for Dr. van Heerden (Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP)
WHAT: News conference to announce lawsuit against LSU officials for alleged campaign of harassment and wrongful termination of Dr. van Heerden. The suit will allege that the defendants terminated Dr. van Heerden’s employment at LSU by manipulating the policies and procedures governing faculty appointments.
This short video is a sample of Dr. van Heerden’s candidness about the Army Corps of Engineers’ errors.
All I have to say is SHAME on LSU…..and YOU GO DR. VAN HEERDEN!!!
Mr.Ivor van Heerden cared enough about us to stand up and speak out for all of the people living in and around south Louisiana. With all due credit to Levees.org, his credentials made his words all the more credible and helped to shine a spotlight on an issue that has been long ignored. He did this even though he must have known that it would risk the comforts and securities of his own professional/personal life and that of his family and that’s exactly where he now finds himself. He spoke out anyway. Why? There was nothing to gain and everything to loose. Obviously, it’s because he genuinely cares.
The very least we, the people of south Louisiana could do, is reciprocate, maybe by generating a petition, send emails, make phone calls, etc., SOMETHING for this man, in his time of need. We must do this. Our belief and faith in righteousness DEMANDS this.
Can Levees.org lead the way with this effort? Our combined efforts have made a difference before. There’s common ground for sure. And it would really be the height of hypocrisy for us to do anything less. This man deserves no less from us.
After all, it’s because of his concern for all of us that he finds himself in the position that he’s in today.
Isn’t Louisiana an employment at will state?
The man did not have tenure. His employer could let him go without reason.
He is not a victim of discrimination. Freedom of speech allows you say things without being prosecuted by the government.
But if what you say embarrasses your employer, your employer can let you go, even if your job performance is great.
LSU did not discriminate on race, sex, religion, age, sexual preference or any other legally protected criteria.
He has a PhD in geology. He can speak as an expert on things pertaining to geology, such as the effects of subsidence on the geology of an area or the effects of errosion on the geology of an area.
He is not an expert on civil engineering. He was working at a university with a distinguished Engineering Department that has produced a large number of civil engineers.
At least he only insulted donors. If he insulted LSU sports, he would have been put in with Mike.
Bon appetit Mike!
Earlier I said right to work when I should have said employment at will.
Louisiana is both, but the second is the one that allows and employer to dismiss an employee without cause or stating the cause as long as it does not conflict with federal or state laws against discrimination.
Ivor van Heerden, PhD, was not fired to my knowledge. His contract was simply not renewed. A contract worker is not automatically renewed unless his contract so specifies. However, the contract usually gives an assurance of a period of employment.
I do not know if his position was a tenure track position that either results in tenure or termination. Tenure is frequently not the end destination in such a track.
The LSU system has been forced to reduce many non tenured positions. It seems we have so much money that we give away tax credits to make movies, but lack money for universities and the Charity Hospital system.