Judge Rules Against Hurricane Scientist’s Tenure Claim in Lawsuit Against LSU

A federal judge has rejected a claim of “de facto tenure” asserted in a lawsuit filed by Ivor van Heerden, the hurricane researcher who alleges that Louisiana State University’s decision not to renew his contract in 2009 was in retaliation for his criticism of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In the ruling, issued on Friday, Judge James J. Brady of the U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge said that under the university’s regulations, Mr. van Heerden was ineligible for tenure protection, The Advocate, a local newspaper, reported. He had worked at the university for more than 15 years on a series of one-year contracts before his position was eliminated.