Mississippi Valley State University’s former financial aid director is alleging he was fired because he refused to complete “unethical and illegal requests” from his supervisors and then blew the whistle to the U.S. Department of Education.
Torrence McKnight is suing the university, President Donna Oliver and his former supervisor, Jerald Adley.
McKnight became director of financial aid in December 2010 to help Valley with turning around its Title IV program, the lawsuit said. Title IV deals with federal financial aid for students.
“After many discussions, meetings, and emails between Dr. McKnight and Dr. Jerald Adley, his supervisor, Dr. Donna Oliver or her administration, and other departments about corrective actions to prevent repeated Title IV violations, nothing was done,” the lawsuit states. “In fact, the more he expressed the problems, the more they began to become angry and frustrated with him.”
McKnight said his supervisors began calling his office or sending messages via individuals “instructing him to do things that were unethical and against Title IV compliance.” The lawsuit said he asked his supervisor to place those items in an email, but she refused.
The suit said Adley then requested he give her policies and procedures to show why things couldn’t or shouldn’t be done.
“Despite seeing the policies, she still insisted, and he still refused,” the lawsuit said.
On July 21, 2011, McKnight filed a harassment complaint with the university’s human resources director, Frank Sowell, the lawsuit said, but McKnight never received a response.
Five days after McKnight filed the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education interviewed him about financial aid processes at Valley, and he shared “some of the unethical things he had been asked to do,” according to the lawsuit.
He was subsequently terminated, the lawsuit said.
“Dr. McKnight was harassed and wrongfully terminated from his job out of retaliation, among other things, because he would not complete unethical and illegal requests,” the lawsuit states.
Nothing in the court record indicates what the allegedly unethical things McKnight was ordered to do were.
The university issued a prepared statement today declining comment.
“This is a pending legal matter that involves a former university employee, and in keeping with institutional policy, we do not comment on pending legal or personnel matters. The university will continue to adhere to its policies and procedures in this regard,” the statement said.
It also said in response to a reporter’s question that, “Presently, the university is not aware of any actions being taken against it by DOE relating to Dr. McKnight’s allegations.”
The lawsuit was filed July 13 in Leflore County Circuit Court.
It alleges wrongful termination, civil conspiracy and intentional/negligent infliction of emotional distress. McKnight, who now lives in Collierville, Tenn., is asking for actual and punitive damages along with court costs and attorney fees.
He’s represented by attorney Terris C. Harris of Jackson.
• Contact Charlie Smith at 581-7235 or csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
