Whistleblower awarded almost $82,000 in settlement with university
By Erik Ricasa
Published on July 22, 2005
Kathy Bennett-Muhammad says she was fired during the summer of 2003 after reporting accounting and bookkeeping discrepancies for a federally funded program to authorities.
The lawsuit claims that the University of North Carolina system, Winston-Salem State, and director Betty Alexander breached Bennett-Muhammad's whistleblower protection rights.
Under the Whistleblower Protection Act, employees cannot be terminated for reporting violations at their workplace to government officials
An independent consultant assessed the TRIO/Student Support Services program following Bennett-Muhammad's allegations and found several problems.
A representative for Winston-Salem State says the lawsuit resulted in no malfeasance by the institution.
The settlement between the parties was reached in June, amounting to $81,695.99. The TRIO program has since been transferred to another office.
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