The whole thing stinks. I don't suppose the department head would intervene on your behalf?

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. I know how powerless it feels to deal with academia, tenure and a thousand hoops.

A side note - it's interesting that he is taking his equipment. Unless written otherwise, equipment purchased through a grant (I'm assuming that is how it was purchased) (1) stays with the originating institution or (2) is returned to the grantee. Lots of paperwork, including current value assessments, are usually generated, ad nauseum. It would be interesting to see if that is actually in place.....(trails off, whistling in the distance...)

Unless, of course, his equipment is trash, in which case the originating University is usually glad that it doesn't have to deal with disposal of same.

Hmmmm....