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TAKE YOUR CASH, AND LEAVE: ISU is giving its former president $480k to
leave. |
Tim Flanagan abruptly resigned Saturday, pocketing a $480,000 payout and
three months of rent-free living at ISU's presidential mansion.
"You don't want to get into an argument about the terms of resignation," ISU
trustee Michael McCuskey said.
McCusky wouldn't say how close the university was to firing Flanagan for his
role in an alleged assault on a university groundskeeper.
Flanagan has been under investigation since December when a groundskeeper at
the school in Bloomington-Normal said the president started yelling, and
bumped and spit on him because of dissatisfaction with yardwork.
Illinois State University Police just ended its investigation into the
matter and has sent the case to local prosecutors. No decisions have been
made.
ISU trustees were to meet Saturday to discuss "personnel matters," but
Flanagan resigned before any action was taken.
"I have decided it would be best that I pursue other opportunities,"
Flanagan said in a statement the university released over the weekend.
McCuskey said ISU is now moving forward.
"The past is over," McCusky said as he ducked specific questions about the
circumstances of Flanagan's resignation.
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But it may not be over.
Illinois State University has been asking for years for more money,
either from lawmakers or students, but that might be a tough request
when lawmakers see a $480,000 payout to get someone to quit.
"The optics of this, both inside and outside of the statehouse, are
going to be poor," state Sen. Jason Barickman told Illinois
Watchdog.
Barickman, whose district includes ISU, said all schools in the
state are being told to tighten their belts and expect less money
from the Capitol.
"I don't think they're going to get a rosy picture from
Springfield," Barickman added. "It's going to be dire. It is just a
question of how dire it is going to be."
ISU has a budget that tops $400 million. Flanagan was supposed to
appear before lawmakers last week to discuss the future of that
budget, but he missed that chance to lobby lawmakers.
Barickman said he hopes for some "stability" from the school's new
president, Larry Dietz.
[This
article courtesy of
Illinois Watchdog.]
Contact Benjamin Yount at
Ben@IllinoisWatchdog.org and find him
on Twitter:
@BenYount.
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