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Wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former college president

On Behalf of | Jul 6, 2016 | Wrongful Termination |

Particularly with high-profile jobs in Michigan, a termination shortly after a person’s hiring is certain to draw attention. Often, these firings have to do with differences of opinion as to how an employee should conduct him or herself and what the employee believed was within the parameters of the job. If the employee ends up losing his or her job, disagreement over the cause of the termination can lead to a wrongful termination lawsuit to determine whether or not there was a violation of employment law. If successful on such a claim, a former employee may garner compensation for his or her damages, as one individual is now trying to accomplish.

A woman who was fired from her job as the president of a Michigan college shortly after her hiring has decided to file a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination. In April, the president was suspended by the school. In May, she was fired. According to the college, she spent $20,000 for several expenses, including a ceremony to celebrate her inauguration, travel that was not connected to the school, and renovations for her office. There were other expenditures that were, in their view, against the rules.

The former president says that the contract she signed with the school has been breached, and she was fired without just cause. She also states that the board of the school decided to fire her due to her implementation of best practices. Included in that was her assessment that the college’s operations did not comply with regulations that govern financial aid. The contract was to last for two-and-a-half years, beginning on January 1, 2016. There were three conditions for which she could be terminated: mutual agreement between the president and the board; retirement or illness; or incapacity or just cause.

The former president says that the money spent on the inauguration was approved by the board and that she did not need permission to have her office renovated. Since this case is one in which a school quickly fired the president and has made allegations of overspending leading to her firing, it is noteworthy in terms of employment law. Those who are confronted with what they believe is wrongful termination might also have a viable case to be compensated. To learn whether or not there is the foundation for a lawsuit, an individual may want to discuss the matter with an experienced employment law attorney.

Source: mlive.com, “Michigan college president fired after 90 days fights back with federal lawsuit,” Emily Monacelli, June 20, 2016

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