South Carolina State University, the state’s only publicly funded historically black college, has undergone a long saga of financial woes, often attributed to low attendance and state funding. However, what wasn’t reported until recently is one contributor to the school’s financial woes is the amount of lawsuits filed against the school, most of them from former employees.
Since 2008, 33 different lawsuits have been filed against SC State, referencing a wide range of grievances, from claims to libel and slander to civil rights violations. All of the cases, excluding currently pending ones, were either lost or settled by the school, with taxpayer money providing legal costs and settlements.
According to some legal experts, the university didn’t settle on every case it should have. Not only did taxpayers pay attorney fees while the case was in court, they then paid the settlement when SC State eventually lost those cases. Already, the university has paid more than $1.5 million in legal fees and settlements.
It doesn’t matter if you are a for-profit or a nonprofit, a public or private company, or in this case, a public university. It still pays to treat your employees fairly.
Whether it is discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, or retaliation and leave cases, they all have one thing in common – they are workplace violations. If you think your rights have been violated, you should seek out legal advice. Call Andy Arnold at 864-242-4800 for a consultation.
