Chicago State University to pay off $4.3M owed to whistleblower

Cash-strapped Chicago State University will soon pay off the balance of a $4.3 million check to a former administrator who filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the South Side school nearly seven years ago.

After years of fighting the case, attorneys for Chicago State this week said they would pay out a judgment to James Crowley, said Anthony Pinelli, Crowley’s lawyer. Pinelli said he expected to receive the full amount from the bank within days.

In his 2010 lawsuit, Crowley claimed he was fired for exposing questionable contracts and refusing to shield public records that were embarrassing to former CSU President Wayne Watson. A jury awarded him back pay and $2 million in punitive damages in 2014, on top of $330,000 in fees for his attorneys. The tally grew, due to years of interest charges and additional fees while CSU unsuccessfully appealed the case.

Pinelli said attorneys for the school had filed an objection to his recent attempts to survey the university’s bank accounts, then earlier this week called to offer to pay the full amount.

Read more: http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/chicago-state-university-to-pay-off-4-3m-owed-to-whistleblower/