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Tuesday, October 05, 2004
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BENEDICT COLLEGE LAWSUIT UPDATE Two professors have filed a lawsuit against Benedict College in South Carolina. Here is some background: "Fired Benedict professors sue college, president Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. - Two former Benedict College science professors who were fired after they refused to follow a college-wide grading policy have sued the school and its president, David Swinton. Larry Williams and Milwood Motley filed suit Friday in Richland County Circuit Court, claiming breach of contract. The lawsuits do not specify the amount of damages sought. The professors were terminated after refusing to assign grades using Benedict's Success Equals Effort policy, which awards freshmen 60 percent of their grades based on how much effort they put into class. The policy assigns sophomores 50 percent of their grade based on effort and is not used for juniors and seniors. Effort is defined by individual faculty members and can include measures such as attendance and completion of assignments." Judge Henry Millford of Columbia, who will hear the case, has announced that he will determine its outcome using the same Success Equals Effort policy that Benedict College uses. "The two sides can define 'effort' in pressing their case with my court in any way they wish," Judge Millford explained. "Effort may involve attendance, as in showing up for hearings; it may involve energetic use of the press to publicize their point of view. The amount each man perspires in my courtroom could turn out to be important. Success could, for that matter, involve other persuasive efforts that I won't go into here. What it will not involve is the relative legitimacy of one or another side's claims. In my courtroom, Success Equals Effort means that my decision will not be about how strong a case each side has; it will be about attitude, commitment, and comportment." |