A former Elon University accounting professor is suing the university for allegedly denying him tenure – the equivalent of termination in academia – after he filed a whistleblower complaint about another professor who he claims had helped students cheat on their IRS certification exams.
The former professor, Ray A. Knight of Winston-Salem, claims that he was removed from his role as director of Elon University’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program after he reported the alleged “cheating scandal” to leaders within the accounting department and to senior administrators at Elon University.
Students in the business school at Elon University who are IRS-certified volunteer with the VITA program to prepare income tax returns for lower-income people in the Burlington area, according to the university.
Two years after filing the whistleblower complaint, Knight was denied tenure in 2023 “with illegal animus,” even though he’d received a “glowing recommendation” when he applied for tenure, his federal suit alleges.
A Certified Public Accountant and licensed attorney, Knight has decades of experience practicing and teaching accounting, including at Western Kentucky University, Mississippi State University, Middle Tennessee University, and Wake Forest University, according to a brief statement of his professional background outlined in his suit.
The plaintiff has also worked for three of the four biggest accounting firms in the U.S.: Ernst & Young; KPMG; and...
A disinformation campaign which has been linked to pro-Russian actors is imitating reputable media outlets to push fake reports about the Middle East war, as part of a campaign to discredit the W...