Hearing officer awards $175K to harassed MSU-Northern dean

(Information from: Havre Daily News, http://www.havredailynews.com)

HAVRE, Mont. (AP) — A hearing officer with the Montana Human Rights Commission has awarded $175,000 to a dean at Montana State University-Northern who complained that the former provost sexually harassed him.

Hearing officer Terry Spear said the university owed Randy Bachmeier damages for emotional distress.

University system spokesman Kevin McRae told the Havre Daily News that the system filed an appeal even before Spear issued his ruling. He says the university system questioned the ability of the five-member Human Rights Commission's decision to overturn Spear's earlier finding that Bachmeier did not suffer emotional distress.

Bachmeier complained in May 2013 that former Provost Rosalyn Templeton had touched him inappropriately for years, causing him stress and nightmares. Soon after he filed the complaint, Bachmeier was reprimanded twice in a 24-hour period. He was awarded $20,000 for his retaliation claim.