United Faculty announced that a state district court ruled that the Iowa Board of Regents must negotiate faculty job buyouts with the union that represents professors, in a statement released Tuesday.

United Faculty, the University of Northern Iowa professors’ faculty union, filed a prohibited practice complaint with the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board following the budgetary decisions made in 2012 involving the closing of Malcolm Price Laboratory School, the cutting of several academic programs and the termination of several professors’ employment.

During the termination process, some professors were forced to choose either an Early Incentive Separation Program or be laid off without a separation package. This took place without any input from United Faculty.

After the PERB ruled in favor of United Faculty following the initial complaint, the BOR decided to appeal the decision. The case was then moved to the civil district court, whose decision was announced Tuesday.

“While we are pleased with the outcome of this case, it was not our choice to take this issue to court,” said United Faculty President Joe Gorton. “We would have preferred to work directly with the Regents to resolve this matter in a fair and equitable manner.”