RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina State University has dismissed a complaint filed by former first lady Mary Easley over her firing last year, officials said Thursday.

Chancellor Randy Woodson said in a statement that the grievance was dismissed last Friday on procedural grounds. Easley failed to respond to the university's request to schedule a grievance hearing and a meeting before the hearing, he said, declining further comment.

Easley's attorney, Marvin Schiller, declined comment on the move.

Easley worked as an executive-in-residence at senior lecturer at the university from 2005 until officials terminated her contract last June. They cited state budget cuts to programs she oversaw as the reason for the termination.

Questions about her hiring and an 88 percent raise she received in 2008 led to the resignations of former Chancellor James Oblinger, former Provost Larry Nielsen and McQueen Campbell, who was chairman of N.C. State's Board of Trustees.

All three denied any wrongdoing, but a series of e-mails the university turned over to a federal grand jury show Campbell communicated with Gov. Mike Easley about a potential job at N.C. State for Mary Easley and then worked with Oblinger and Nielsen to fashion a job for her.

Her hiring and promotion are among the issues being investigated by the grand jury looking into the former governor's dealings with friends and contributors while in office.