Former Ave Maria College administrator awarded more than $400,000 in whistleblower lawsuit
A former Ave Maria College administrator could end up with an award amounting to more than $500,000 as a result of a whistleblower lawsuit, The Detroit News reports.
A jury in Ann Arbor awarded Kay Ernsting almost $418,000 Wednesday, plus attorney fees and interest, saying the college violated state law designed to protect employees who reveal wrongdoing in the workplace.
Ernsting sued the college seven years ago after it eliminated Ernsting's position as director of financial aid, soon after the U.S. Department of Education fined the college and ordered it to repay almost $250,000 in improperly issued aid, The News reported.
Ave Maria College was started in Ypsilanti by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan. He wanted to move the college to Domino's Farms, but Ann Arbor Township planners rejected the request. Monaghan then opened Ave Maria University in Florida in 2003. In 2006, Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti was closed and joined with the Florida campus.
Comments
GT
Sun, Jun 5, 2011 : 1:23 a.m.
Michigan Reader, You are incorrect. Judge Connors has ruled that Ave Maria University is the successor institution of Ave Maria College. AMU is on the hook for the judgment.
Michigan Reader
Fri, May 6, 2011 : 10:56 p.m.
Ave Maria, the Ypsilanti college, has no assets to pay this judgement, because it no longer exists. The Florida Ave Maria is a different legal entity. Monaghan doesn't have to pay a thing, he wasn't sued, Ave Maria College was. Of course, if Ave Maria University wants to pay the judgement, it can, but has no legal obligation to do that.
bedrog
Fri, May 6, 2011 : 11:46 a.m.
It'll be interesting to see the future hagiography of ' saint tom monaghan' ( at least in the catholic sub -sect he subscribes to..which is mel gibson's too). I bet this 'being forced to pay damages' will be likened to the crucifixion , the arrow- pincushioning of st edmund by the vikings or the burning of st. joan of arc.
David Briegel
Fri, May 6, 2011 : 2:06 a.m.
I generally trust juries to do the right thing. I'm happy this woman was vindicated.
useyourbrain
Fri, May 6, 2011 : 1:38 a.m.
"Ave Maria can afford it"...yeah, that's the right thinking. Never mind the lack of evidence and/or merit of this case. Go after the evil employer. Way to blow it, jury.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, May 5, 2011 : 6:03 p.m.
I'm no friend of Monaghan's, that's for certain. But I find this extension of the whistle-blower lawsuit a little unsettling. Turning a private employee into a narc is something that should be reserved for life-threatening violations of the law. Knowing Monaghan, the area will pay for this, one way or another. Maybe that's a good thing. I didn't like what I read a while back about him wanting to create his own religious version of Levittown in Florida.
AA
Thu, May 5, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
Thank God.
Bertha Venation
Thu, May 5, 2011 : 4:01 p.m.
Glad to read this. Ave Maria can afford it. They have plenty'o'money. They think they're above the law.
grye
Thu, May 5, 2011 : 2:17 p.m.
Fix the typo of $500,000
Ed Kimball
Fri, May 6, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
I believe the $500,000 in the body of the article is an estimate of what Ernsting will get after adding attorney's fees and interest.