‘I’m losing a lot of faith’: Student raises concerns regarding employment status following return from basic training

After returning from basic training in the Montana Army National Guard in March 2026, student Mark Schattenberg found out he was no longer employed at the MSU Bike & Ski Shop. Prior to leaving for basic training, Schattenberg was employed at both the MSU Rental Center and MSU Bike & Ski Shop. 

Schattenberg submitted a request to return to work March 23, but was not reemployed until June 24, 2026, creating approximately a 13-week gap in time of reemployment. “During this period I was re-enrolled at MSU beginning April 8, 2026, and I experienced significant financial hardship as a direct result of the extended gap in employment,” he said.

While he was reemployed at the Rental Center, Schattenberg was not reemployed at the Bike & Ski Shop because the shop was fully staffed. 

Starting in the spring, the Rental Center and the Bike & Ski Shop no longer offered student positions that split time between both shops. Instead, positions are designated specifically for either the Rental Center or the Bike Shop. “I found out my manager was unaware that I also retained a position within the bike and ski portion, and that they were fully staffed and I would not be able to fulfill that other portion of the position I originally agreed to,” Schattenberg said. According to Schattenberg, MSU officials told him that his reemployment requirement, as mandated by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), has been met by granting him reemployment at the rental center. Schattenberg said he believes he should be reemployed at both centers. 

After discovering he would not be reemployed at the Bike & Ski Shop, he sought assistance for reemployment from Student Wellness Center leadership, Veteran Services and the Dean of Students. “From my side, it’s frustrating because if this happens to me, I know it's gonna happen to other service members,” he said. 

Schattenberg alleges that MSU is in violation of 38 U.S. Code § 4312 & 4313 of the USERRA. These two clauses state that returning service members are legally guaranteed employment in the civilian position that they would have kept if they had not left, provided they gave advanced notice, served under honorable conditions and applied for reinstatement under statutory deadlines, among others according to LockLeed International.

“When I talked to HR and ran this through the council, I got [Human Resources Director Liz Bradley’s] response, it seems as if the University utilized that escalator principle within it because my understanding is that the escalator principle would kick in after 91 days, and I was gone for 76 days,” he said. 

Mike Becker, MSU’s vice president of communications, said that out of respect for employees’ privacy, MSU does not discuss individual personnel matters. 

“We therefore cannot comment on specific allegations," he said. 

Schattenberg said he feels that MSU's actions towards his employment status does not accurately represent its ranking as the No.1 Military-Friendly School. “I can imagine that MSU would love to continue to hold the number one military-friendly university title and I don’t believe [this] represents me or MSU fairly and properly,” he said.

Because Schattenberg has yet to gain reemployment at the Bike & Ski Shop, he continues to take steps in hopes of getting his job back — including going public with the situation. 

“I just want my job back, and I want to feel like a meaningful part of the MSU community. That’s why I’m reaching out, because it seems like all attempts elsewhere have stalled and it's left me in a position where I’m losing a lot of faith,” he said.

Additionally, Schattenberg said he has been impacted financially by not gaining reemployment. “This situation has interfered with both my studies and work. As a full-time student and Guard member, this isn’t the situation I expected to return home to, nor would I want any other MSU military personnel to experience,” he said.

Betsy Asserson, the associate vice president of the Student Wellness Center, said she is not able to publicly comment on the situation as it involves private and personal student information.