BATON ROUGE - The legal battle between fired Golden Band from Tigerland director Roy King and LSU will be played out in federal court.

King sued the university last month in state district court, but LSU filed notice seeking to have the case moved to U.S. District Court because King's lawsuit alleges claims under both federal and state law.

Jill Craft, King's lead attorney, said she won't oppose LSU's notice of removal.

King contends he was terminated April 19 in violation of his First Amendment rights and his due process rights. He also accuses the school of defamation, libel and slander.

King's termination letter accused him of circumventing management directives by awarding scholarships to members of the Golden Girls dance team and flag girls of the color guard without proper approval.