The former bosses of two fired University employees who have filed age-discrimination claims against Brandeis said last week that the fired staffers were excellent employees under their supervision.Mary Sullivan, 54, a varsity softball coach for 32 years before being fired abruptly this summer, and 59-year-old Cliff Hauptman '69 M.F.A. '73, who worked in admissions and public affairs for 14 years, have said their firings were not based on their performances.

Both Sullivan and Hauptman have claims pending with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. And while they both said the supervisors who fired them expressed displeasure with their work, their former bosses said they had no complaints about their performances.

Jeff Cohen '64, who was Athletics Director until he was fired in 2004 (click here for sidebar), said that despite up-and-down records from season to season, Sullivan was hardworking and cared deeply for her players.

"I thought that her teams were generally competitive in New England," Cohen said in a phone interview. "They had some difficulty competing in the UAA."

But this record never bothered Cohen.

"Wins and losses were secondary," he said. "I don't believe we have our teams strictly to win."

Both Athletics Director Sheryl Sousa and Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy were unavailable for comment at press time.

Alumni have created informal committees in support of both Sullivan and Hauptman.

The MCAD has been conducting an investigation of Hauptman's claim since last June when the organization determined the claim warranted further consideration.

Hauptman worked in the Office of Admissions and later in the Office of Public Affairs as director of creative services and editor of The Brandeis Review-the alumni magazine, now called Brandeis University Magazine-for 12 years.

Hauptman was hired in 1991 by a team that included Michael Kalafatas '65, who worked as the director of admissions for 35 years until he retired in 2002.

"I certainly know his work with profound closeness," Kalafatas said Sunday. "In my judgment, he always fully met my expectations down the line."

Hauptman was a "wonderful writer [who wrote with] crisp and imaginative prose," Kalafatas added.

According to Hauptman, Senior Vice-President of Communications Lorna Miles, who came to Brandeis in 2003, felt threatened by his seniority in the office and fired him to gain more control.

"I was the oldest one [in the Office of Communications] besides her and I think she just needed to take charge," Hauptman said last week. "[Miles] wanted somebody younger who was not a clear, competing authority."

In 1993, Hauptman moved to the Office of Public Affairs, now called the Office of Communications, and worked for Michal Regunberg '71, Miles' predecessor.

Regunberg, who resigned in 2002 as the vice president for public affairs, said that under Hauptman's leadership, The Brandeis Review reached "a new level."

Regunberg and Kalafatas agreed that Hauptman worked extremely well with his staff and had its respect.

The Office of Human Resources would not release any information about Hauptman.