Lawsuit claims IUP manager fired for notifying staff of possible covid-19 exposure

A former supervisor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania claims in a lawsuit he was fired for telling employees a fellow worker had been exposed to coronavirus.

Donald Woolslayer, the school’s director of facilities since 2016, claims he was terminated on March 31 — the day after he emailed a notification of possible exposure to IUP employees. Woolslayer, who lives in Indiana, sued university President Michael Driscoll in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, claiming the firing violated his constitutional rights to speak publicly about matters of public concern.

Woolslayer, 57, wants to be reinstated to his job, which pays $103,000 a year. He also seeks back wages and unspecified punitive damages.

The university does not comment on litigation, an IUP spokeswoman said.

Woolslayer’s lawyer, Pittsburgh attorney Samuel J. Cordes, said his client did not disclose private health information.

“He was just saying one of our employees has been exposed. (Woolslayer) is a public employee, and he has a right to speak on matters of public concern. You don’t give that up,” Cordes said.

Woolslayer spent four years in charge of the operation and maintenance of all buildings and facilities on the campus 60 miles east of Pittsburgh. In his lawsuit, he said he received good marks on his last employee evaluation.

In late March, he said he learned one of his employees was self-quarantining after the man’s wife was diagnosed with covid-19.

Although IUP officials recommended against it, Woolslayer said he decided to alert other employees to the development. He did so by email on March 30.

The message said that “one of our colleagues is self-quarantined due to exposure to covid-19.” Woolslayer also cautioned others to “consult with their health care provider to ascertain their risk and their course of action.”

“The very next day, March 31, 2020,” the lawsuit states, “Driscoll fired Woolslayer, offering no reason other than that he (and senior leadership at IUP) had ‘lost confidence in (Woolslayer’s) ability to effectively perform his assigned duties as Director of Facilities Operations.’ ”

Despite knowing “Woolslayer had ongoing medical conditions,” IUP canceled his health insurance the day he was fired, the lawsuit states.