The former executive director and chief executive officer of the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park filed a lawsuit against his former employer this week, alleging statutory violations and retaliation under the so-called “Whistleblowers Protection Act.”
The complaint was filed on behalf of Peter Chapman, who became the public-private entity’s executive director in September 2018. Chapman’s contract was renewed for a three-year term in 2021, but the RTPark Board voted against renewing his contract a second time during a meeting in April.
According to the complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, the RTPark’s revenue tripled under Chapman’s leadership. At the same time, Chapman “often found himself in the unenviable position of having to fend off efforts by members of the Board — the RTPark’s statutory governing body — to divert large additional sums of RTPark money for UVI’s myriad interests, including the medical school project.”
RTPark Board Chair Edward Thomas was also named as a defendant.
The UVI Research and Technology Park was established in 2002 “to promote economic growth, development and diversification of the Virgin Islands and the broadening of the capabilities of the University of the Virgin Islands,” according to Title 17 of the V.I. Code. As an autonomous instrument of the Virgin Islands government, the RTPark offers tax exemptions and reductions.
According to the complaint, university representatives and Thomas...
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