CSI settles former VP lawsuit for $650K

Oct. 26--TWIN FALLS -- The College of Southern Idaho announced Tuesday it has settled a lawsuit filed by a former vice president who alleged "pervasive discrimination."

The $650,000 settlement with Edit Szanto was made through the college's insurer, the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program.

The settlement was made to "limit the costs and distraction associated with lengthy litigation," CSI wrote in a statement.

CSI isn't paying for the settlement, and it doesn't impact the college's operating budget.

Szanto filed the suit in July 2015 in U.S. District Court against CSI's board of trustees, President Jeff Fox and former interim president Curtis Eaton.

Szanto worked at CSI for 17 years, until she was placed on paid leave in January 2014. Her contract ended that June. She was vice president of student services, planning and grant development.

Through the settlement agreement, CSI officials are denying any liability or wrongdoing, according to the college's statement. And Szanto agreed to drop the lawsuit.

Online court documents for the settlement weren't available Tuesday.

In the suit, Szanto described herself as a "foreign-born woman" and high-level administrator at CSI. She alleged discrimination based on her gender and national status.

She and her family immigrated to the U.S. from Romania as political refugees in 1990 and were resettled through CSI's Refugee Center.

Szanto said Tuesday there was a mediation Oct. 12 and she signed a settlement agreement last week.

She said she'll receive monthly payments of $3,330 for 15 years, from January 2022 until 2037. She'll also receive $80,000 in upfront cash and $130,000 for her attorneys.

Szanto said she dedicated her professional life to CSI. "I put my heart and soul into my job. I tireless advocated for innovation," as well as transparency.

Szanto said she decided to fight her termination, which she called "unjust."

She said she learned the value of courage while growing up under communism in eastern Europe and watching her parents stand up for themselves.

Now, Szanto is in her second year of law school through a hybrid in-person and online program.

She said she wants to become a civil rights and employment law attorney "to help those who face a hostile workplace environment," she said. "I'm looking forward to putting this (lawsuit) behind me."

In February 2014, Szanto filed a complaint with the Idaho Commission on Human Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Szanto didn't create conflict, the complaint states, but she was assertive and goal-driven. "She also did not defer to her male colleagues. She did not conform to the female stereotype as a quiet, meek, passive and subservient employee."

She was paid $96,000 per year. Szanto applied for a promotion to executive vice president in 2008, according to the complaint.

Fox was given the job instead. Attorneys for Szanto allege she was more qualified for the job but wasn't interviewed.

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