Dean Meyer, the ousted director of the North Dakota Racing Commission, says he won't leave his post without a fight.

The commission voted 3-2 last Thursday not to hire Meyer full time after his six-month probationary period.

Commission Chairman James Boehm said then that Meyer "is pretty much done as of tonight."

But Meyer, who started work in January, said Thursday's action did not mean he was fired.

"They never had a motion to fire me," he said Friday. "There was a motion to make me full-time. Until another motion is made, I'm still on probationary status.

"I'll be back in the office Monday."

Boehm said the board might make another motion to make Meyer's dismissal final.

The panel has called a meeting for Monday and the agenda includes an item to clarify the director's employment.

Meyer, who has hired a lawyer, said horsemen support him.

"It's probably the worst decision made for horse racing for a long time to not continue his employment," said Doug DeMontigny of Dunseith, chairman of the Outdoors Recreation Development Association, operator of Chippewa Downs at Belcourt. "I don't know anyone who didn't like the job he was doing."

"The horsemen just loved him," added Leon Glasser, of Mandan, president of the North Dakota Quarter Horse Association.

Thursday's action came at the end of a three-hour meeting. There was little discussion before the vote.

James Clement, of Mandan, and Clarence Frederick Sr., of Belcourt, voted to hire Meyer full-time. Boehm, along with James Arthaud, of Belfield, and DeAnn Pladson, of Fargo, cast dissenting votes.

Clement resigned from the commission as soon as the meeting ended, saying the issue should have been discussed.

During and after the meeting, Boehm said he cast a dissenting vote because the future of horse racing was going in the wrong direction.

He wouldn't elaborate. "It's not something I want to discuss with the press, nor do I have to," he said after the meeting. He said Meyer should know why he is being dismissed.

Meyer said the move surprised him and could only speculate about what might have happened. He said no commissioner had talked to him about his work nor was there an evaluation.