The law does not require that the employee whose contract is not being renewed find out before anyone else; nor does it prevent others from being told about his or her employment status, or force an employer to interview the employee (even if the employer had indicated there would be an interview) before deciding to not renew the contract. In short, what your employer did appears to be legal, even though it may well have been unprofessional; unfortunately, the law does not enforce courtesy and professionalism.