Faculty Set To Sue College Of New Rochelle Over Layoffs

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The College of New Rochelle could have a lawsuit on its hands if it follows through with layoffs in the coming months.

An attorney for almost 100 faculty members sent a warning letter to the college’s lawyer with ways for the school to avoid layoffs, according to the Journal News.

The attorney said the college hasn’t followed procedures showing a financial necessity to justify the layoffs of faculty.

In October, the college found itself in a massive financial crisis, and was days away from closing.

Judith Huntington resigned as president the weekend of Oct. 15, with Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dorothy Escribano was made interim president.

“Unmet financial obligations” were uncovered and that information was presented to the trustees.

A chief restructuring officer was hired, as were a forensic accountant and outside law firm.

Preliminary inquiries found that about $20 million in payroll taxes were not paid for eight quarters, beginning in 2014.

For more details on the latest news, read the Journal News article here.

Patch file photo.