Lang/AP
5/26/23
Iowa state auditor Rob Sand is blasting outgoing University of Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta, whose retirement was announced by the school on Friday.
The 59-year-old Barta will retire on August 1st after 17 years at the university. Iowa won four NCAA national team titles and 27 Big Ten team titles during Barta’s tenure. He also faced heavy criticism over more than $11 million in settlements for lawsuits in recent years alleging racial and sexual discrimination within the athletic department.
That money loss has been the target of Sand’s criticism in the past. Friday afternoon, the state auditor released a statement reading: “Gary Barta’s departure is a long time coming given the four different lawsuits for discrimination that cost Iowa more than $11 million. Discrimination demands accountability. The University of Iowa should publicly release all terms of his departure.”
Sand was the sole member of the State Appeal Board to vote against settling a discrimination lawsuit brought against the UI Athletics Department by a group of black former football players who claimed mistreatment based on race.
The settlement agreement totaled nearly $4.2 million, $2 million of which would have been paid by taxpayers had the Athletics Department not later agreed to reimburse the state for that portion of the settlement.
Barta is one of the longest tenured athletic directors in a Power Five conference. He was hired by Iowa in 2006 after being the AD at Wyoming. The school says an interim director will be announced next week.
