CSU Faculty Voice: Throw Another $350,000 on the Barbie: The University Continues to Pay for Wayne Watson

Friday, November 3, 2017

Throw Another $350,000 on the Barbie: The University Continues to Pay for Wayne Watson

In my previous post, I noted that there were some legal expenses for which I had no contracts. I now have them. At least two of the contracts have to be added to the expenses incurred by the university to defend its former president, Wayne Watson. Specifically, in December 2016, the university contracted with Jackson Lewis to “Represent Dr. Wayne Watson” in the Peebles case. The amount? $250,000. That same month, the university contracted with Neal, Gerber and Eisenberg to “Represent Chicago State University in connection with analyzing coverage for the Crowley verdict.” The amount of this contract is $99,000.

As a I reported earlier, Jackson Lewis has received nearly $93,000 for its work on behalf of Wayne Watson, while Neal, Gerber and Eisenberg have been paid more than $70,000 for its “analysis.” Of course, the Peebles case is ongoing, with the price tag for Watson’s defense now exceeding $300,000. You may recall that the insurer in the Crowley case balked at paying for damages caused by the purposeful behavior of Watson and Cage; insurers don’t usually pay for liability created by the illegal actions of a defendant. Ultimately, the insurer agreed to pay $1.5 million of the $4.3 million damage award to James Crowley, leaving the university on the hook for $2.8 million. Adding the $70,000 paid to Neal, Gerber and Eisenberg brings the cost of defending Wayne Watson’s unconscionable behavior to just under $400,000.

Below are the two contracts:

3 comments:

Ann KuzdaleNov 6, 2017, 9:00:00 AM
And the remnants of the Watson regime headed
by his chief minion Angela Henderson continue to be rewarded for the ruination of this university and its reputation. They collect their pay checks --how many are in the 6-figure zone?-- and work against those brought in to "turn this place around." Knowing what I now do about southside Chi politics I would not be surprised to see a return in some way of Wayne Watson himself. He has not been rooted out. Under Watson, Chicago State was allowed to become a travesty of an institution of higher learning. It has now become a tragedy.
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Stuart WaughNov 6, 2017, 1:59:00 PM
Do you have the latest enrollment numbers? This article is the only thing I can find, and it says there were just 145 Freshmen coming in, and only 2400 students on campus, 900 of them grad students (I had thought 3,300 was the total, so maybe the accounting is off?) What can you report? https://www.ilnews.org/news/schools/meager-enrollment-generous-salaries-at-chicago-state-university/article_3d85624a-a3b3-11e7-9163-97e476f9f987.html
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Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.