A case involving a former Western staffer who claims she was forced to retire early has been moved to Franklin Circuit Court.

Elizabeth Esters, who worked as staff assistant to President Gary Ransdell and secretary to the Board of Regents, is suing Western for $44,617.80.

The lawsuit was dismissed from Warren County Circuit Court this morning, said Deborah Wilkins, chief of staff and general counsel.

Wilkins said all lawsuits involving contractual allegations go the Franklin Circuit Court.

Last month, Western officials received a copy of a complaint in which Esters claimed Ransdell told her to “go on and retire” halfway through the 2008-2009 academic year.

The complaint stated that her early retirement was a breach of contract.

Western attorneys filed a motion on Oct. 20 to dismiss the case.

Wilkins said she’s confident that Western’s attorneys will prove that no such contract exists.

Western attorneys have argued that Esters’ contract was oral and doesn’t have the same merit in court as a written contract.

Steven Downey, Esters’ attorney, could not be immediately reached for comment.

At tonight’s Student Government Association meeting:

• President Gary Ransdell came to the meeting and answered senators’ questions.

He addressed the Board of Regents’ decision to postpone the vote on raises for Dean Kahler, associate vice president of Enrollment Management, and Athletics Director Wood Selig until the next board meeting in January.

This is the first time in 12 years the board didn’t approve a president’s recommendation, Ransdell said.

The proposed raises can’t be compared with raises for other faculty and staff because the circumstances surrounding them are different, he said.

Selig is an asset to the Athletics department, and a significant raise is necessary to keep him at Western, Ransdell said.

Kahler does a good job and is making much less than the previous associate vice president of Enrollment Management, so he deserves a raise, he said.

Ransdell said that he doesn’t know what will happen with Kahler’s raise, but Selig’s raise will most likely come from money taken out of Athletics revenue.

Aaron Pawley, SGA director of academic and student affairs, asked Ransdell if decreased attendance at football games would change tailgating policy. Ransdell said it wouldn’t.

He said it’s not necessary to damage the campus for tailgating, and students should adapt to the changed policy.

Ransdell also addressed the possible relocation of the campus police department to block 12 of the Tax Incremental Finance District, which is near Center, 13th and Kentucky streets.

He said the current conditions of the police station are “deplorable,” and leasing a new building is the only solution.

• Bowling Green sophomore Allan Huntsman, Bowling Green freshman Jonathon Tabor and Nicholas Hummer, a junior from West Palm Beach, Fla., were approved as student senators.

Four senators — Bowling Green senior Skylar Baker-Jordan, Louisville senior Michel Stephens, Bowling Green sophomore Emmett Stephens and Lexington sophomore Daniel Shaw — resigned from SGA in October.

The former senators cited various reasons for resigning, including disagreement with decisions made by SGA’s executive board members.

• Senators passed two bills. One gave $1,500 from SGA’s general budget to help fund the American Collegiate Intramural Sports Regional Flag Football Tournament.

The other bill gave $4,253 of organizational aid money to nine student organizations.

• Sarah Howell, SGA director of information technology, announced that the SGA Web site has been updated, and the bills and resolutions discussed in SGA are now available online.