Michigan State, strength coach have settled federal lawsuit over discrimination
GRAND RAPIDS — Michigan State University and a strength and conditioning coach have settled a federal lawsuit that alleged "discriminatory treatment" by the university.
In August, Mike Vorkapich, then 52, filed his complaint and claimed the university emphasized diversity over merit when making hires and promotions inside the athletic department. The filing named the university, Athletic Director Alan Haller and Deputy Athletic Director Ashton Henderson as defendants.
Court records filed on Monday related to the settlement did not detail the terms.
Messages were left seeking comment from Scot Hinshaw, Vorkapich's Ohio-based attorney.
University spokesperson Mark Bullion declined to disclose the terms of the settlement or comment.
Vorkapich still works at MSU and is listed on the school's website as the director of athletic performance/sports science for the MSU hockey team, a position he was promoted to in 2020. He's a former MSU football player, who started as a graduate assistant in 1995 following his playing career.
The lawsuit claimed that Vorkapich was twice demoted and excluded from meetings while "younger, less qualified, female, black, and nondisabled individuals" were promoted.
Vorkapich is white and, according to his lawsuit, has Tourette Syndrome. Both Haller and Henderson are Black.
After one demotion last year, Vorkapich claimed in the lawsuit that he was given the choice of demotion or to leave the university two months before he would vest into his university retirement benefits.
The lawsuit sought his reinstatement to a previous position or a higher position that he would now hold if he had not been previous demoted. He also asked a judge to award back pay for wages lost or, if he was not reinstated, that the university to pay him for wages he'd receive through his chosen retirement age of 67.
Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at 517-377-1026 or mjmencarini@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU, strength coach have settled federal discrimination lawsuit
