ASHLAND – A jury has been seated in Ashland County Common Pleas Court in the trial to resolve a lawsuit brought by six former Ashland University faculty members against the university.
A majority of the first day of the civil trial was spent on jury selection, and the day concluded with jurors taking an oath and receiving preliminary instructions.
Plaintiff’s attorney Leslie Murray and defense attorney Bill Nolan questioned potential jurors about their opinions on tenure in higher education as well as about their thoughts on employment contracts and unions.
Murray also asked jurors whether they felt there should be a maximum amount of damages a plaintiff should receive and whether they would be willing to award future damages, such as damages for lost retirement benefits resulting from a breach of an employment contract.
Nolan asked jurors whether they could suspend judgement until they had heard all evidence from both sides.
Murray was joined by her father, John Murray, as co-counsel. Nolan was accompanied by Taylor Hunter as co-counsel as well as trial strategist and psychologist Dennis Stolle. Client representative Josh Hughes, director of human resources and legal affairs at the university, was also present on behalf of the defendant.
Several jurors were dismissed for reasons ranging from knowledge of the case or familiarity with parties involved to preconceived notions about concepts like tenure that would make it difficult to be impartial as a juror. Others were dismissed without cause at the request of the attorneys.
Ultimately, five women and three men were selected to serve as jurors. Two alternates also were seated.
Plaintiffs in the case include Stephanie Sikora, Rachel Wlodarsky, William Cummins, Boris Kerkez, Jeffrey Tiel and Pravin Rodrigues. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths originally was a seventh plaintiff but is now re-employed with the university and is no longer a party in the case.
The plaintiffs allege the university violated their contracts by terminating them without cause, despite each of the faculty members having tenure.
The university argues the non-renewals were the result of a formal restructuring of academic programs, one of three acceptable circumstances under which tenured faculty may be terminated under the university’s faculty rules and regulations. The plaintiffs say there was no formal restructuring in the specific faculty members’ programs or departments.
The trial will continue Thursday with opening arguments and the start of testimony. Attorneys estimate the entire trial will take up to a week and a half, wrapping up by the end of next week.
