A federal jury in Denver last week awarded $600,000 to a former University of Colorado psychiatry professor who said that he had been "illegally fired" by the chancellor of the university's Health Sciences Center. Gordon L. Neligh served as a faculty member at the center's medical school and as director of its public-psychiatry programs from 1987 to 1998, when the university did not renew his annual contract.

The university may appeal the verdict. "We are considering our options," a spokeswoman said on Friday.

In his lawsuit, Dr. Neligh accused James H. Shore, chancellor of the center, of refusing to renew the contract after the psychiatrist reported that his administrative assistant, a Muslim, had experienced religious discrimination by other university employees.

In a statement released last week, the university attributed Dr. Neligh's dismissal to "a history of mixed performance."

Dr. Neligh's lawyer, David C. Feola, challenged the university's claim. "His performance was exemplary," said Mr. Feola, noting that, under Dr. Neligh's leadership, funds for the university's public psychiatry programs had increased by millions of dollars and that, in 1996, Dr. Shore himself recommended Dr. Neligh for a fellowship sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association.

"This is the second time in as many months that a major Colorado university has been found to have illegally fired one of its professors," Dr. Neligh said in a prepared statement, referring to a case last month in which a former accounting professor at Colorado State University won a $518,000 judgment. "The top officials of our state universities are public trustees, and must be seen as beacons of ethics," Dr. Neligh said. "Unfortunately, that was not the case here."

In the statement released by the University of Colorado, Elizabeth Hoffman, the system president, defended Dr. Shore, calling him a "thoughtful, careful leader who is willing to make tough decisions when necessary."

According to Mr. Feola, the jury award would be reduced to $300,000 to comply with federal law. A judge would then determine if Dr. Neligh is eligible for additional compensation for economic damages, including lost wages and legal fees.

Dr. Neligh now runs a private psychiatry practice in Denver and consults with several government agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.