A former UW-Whitewater dean dropped a racial discrimination suit against the UW Board of Regents and agreed to pay the state $1,000 Friday.
Howard Ross filed a suit claiming racial discrimination after he was removed from his dean position in 2006. According to a statement from Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's office, the university's decision was motivated by Ross' financial mismanagement.
Ross, who is black, said his demotion was motivated by his race rather than potential fiscal irresponsibility. He dropped the suit after days of testimony in court and agreed to pay the state for costs it acquired defending itself.
UW System President Kevin Reilly praised Van Hollen and the lawyers who handled the case and for their work.
""This affirms that our UW-Whitewater colleagues acted properly in their efforts to enforce financial policies. Taxpayers and students expect us to be good stewards of their money, and that's an obligation we take very seriously,"" he said in a statement.
Van Hollen said he was pleased with the outcome of the case.
""For the better part of a week our lawyers put on a good case and the outcome speaks for itself,"" he said in a statement.
—Hannah Furfaro
