Former Iowa State employee and president of AFSCME Local 96 Dona Harris criticized university officials for firing her and continually trying to stop her efforts to organize employees to fight sexual discrimination.

“The action came as no surprise as I have been expecting this conclusion to the ongoing struggle with ISU administrators over their failure to take sufficient action to resolve sexual harassment and discrimination issues,” Harris said in a written statement.

The statement was released Monday morning in a press conference, where the law suit brought against the university on behalf of Harris also was discussed.

Harris was fired by the university on Tuesday, June 18, according to Harris and a letter written by Keith Heffernan, assistant director at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), where Harris worked as a typist.

The law suit was originally filed in May of 1995 and alleged that university officials were attempting to block Harris from helping other university employees file harassment and discrimination grievances against the university.

“It’s a sad situation,” Harris said in a later interview. “It’s disappointing that the university can’t deal with issues like sex discrimination and harassment … [The university] so dislikes anyone who speaks out.”

University officials could not be reached for comment. However, to date the university has said Harris’ firing is not related to her position or activism in the Local 96, but rather what ISU officials said was misappropriation of university property.

Jan Coderman, president of AFSCME 61 (Des Moines), said the charges were untrue.

Harris said she has seen this coming for a long time and says the university “has been more and more aggressive in its efforts to block me.”

Harris’ law suit will come to trial this fall and so will the other cases filed with Harris’ help, including three cases filed against ISU and ISU Research Park Director Len Goldman.