UPDATE @ 4:27 p.m. (Aug. 20)
After being demoted with pay cuts while under federal investigation of possible immigration law violations, Wright State University’s provost and a former researcher remain on paid leave at a salary of $286,362 and $76,757, respectively.
This is according to letters, obtained by the I-Team, which were sent on Aug. 12 to former provost Sundaram Narayanan, former assistant to the provost Ryan Fendley and lecturer Phani Kidambi.
The letter to Fendley immediately terminated his employment “subsequent to your paid administrative leave and as a result of the ongoing investigation.”
There has been no change, however, in the status of the university’s chief general counsel, Gwen Mattison, who was suspended with pay along with the other three on May 4.
Wright State President David Hopkins and trustee board Chairman Michael Bridges released a joint statement Monday confirming that the university was under federal investigation related to its work visa program.
The statement notes that no criminal charges are pending against any of them, “However, we have reviewed enough information to be certain that these personnel actions are merited and are in the best interest of the university.”
FIRST REPORT:
Wright State University officials have removed the provost and confirmed that the university’s work visa program is under federal investigation.
In a statement to WSU staff made public Monday, university President David Hopkins wrote that Tom Sudkamp will replace Sundaram Narayanan, who has been on paid leave since May.
Narayanan will return to the faculty of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, “per his contract,” according to the prepared statement.
Until Monday, Wright State officials have refused to acknowledge why Narayanan and three other university officials have been suspended.
The investigation began in the spring with “credible evidence” that between two and five years ago not every employee sponsored by WSU under a H-1B work visa was actually working at the university and “that would violate federal law, and it concerns us greatly,” according to the statement from Hopkins and university Trustee President Michael Bridges.
“Federal authorities have been and continue to review the use of the H-1B visa program at our institution,” Hopkins wrote.
“Initially, I was asked not to share the nature of or to take any action that might obstruct the investigation. However, our Board of Trustees was informed immediately; and we began to cooperate fully with investigators to help them gather facts. We have provided tens of thousands of pages of documents, and the investigators have interviewed more than a dozen members of our university.
“In addition, we have engaged with the Office of the Ohio Attorney General and assembled a team of external experts to assist us with our own internal review of our processes and procedures.”
