Siena Heights University, a century-old Catholic institution in Adrian, Michigan, has quietly settled a whistleblower lawsuit with its former CFO Debi Andrews. The settlement comes weeks after announcing it will permanently close following the 2025–2026 academic year.
The lawsuit, filed in April 2025 in federal court, alleged Andrews was terminated in retaliation for refusing to misrepresent budget details to the university’s board and for encouraging a colleague to file a sexual harassment complaint against university president Douglas Palmer. The settlement terms have not been made public, and neither party has commented on the outcome.
Andrews, who joined the university in February 2024, claimed she uncovered serious financial irregularities, including questionable budget proposals, misuse of fundraising dollars by athletic staff and instances of personal expenses being improperly classified as student-related. According to court documents, her opposition to Palmer’s proposed budget and internal concerns about transparency preceded her being placed on unpaid leave that summer.
The complaint also accused the school’s then-HR director Fran Johnson of spreading false allegations about Andrews that claimed she was having inappropriate relations with staff in campus facilities, which were later used as the basis for what Andrews described as a retaliatory internal investigation.
Siena Heights declined to comment to MLive on the specifics of the case but previously stated...
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