COLUMBUS, Ohio ― Ohio State’s fired marching band director is asking a federal appeals court to uphold his civil-rights claims against the university.
In a filing Monday, Jonathan Waters asks the Sixth Circuit to overturn a judge’s finding from August rejecting allegations of reverse discrimination.
Judge James Graham found Waters failed to prove he had been treated differently than a similarly situated female Ohio State employee who faced allegations about “sexualized behavior” on the cheerleading squad.
Waters was fired in July 2014 after an internal investigation found he ignored a “sexualized culture” inside what’s known to fans as The Best Damn Band in the Land. Waters has denied wrongdoing.
He’s also appealing the Ohio Court of Claims’ rejection of a second lawsuit alleging slander, defamation and invasion of privacy by the university.
