Documents show a college in southwestern Michigan is paying a former school president who was fired in 2016 and her lawyers $145,000 as part of a settlement. The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph obtained details of the agreement between Jennifer Spielvogel and Lake Michigan College near Benton Harbor using the Freedom of Information Act.
The board of the college in May 2016 voted to terminate Spielvogel's contract. Trustees cited policy violations, a lack of professionalism and more than $20,000 in unauthorized costs. A lawsuit was soon filed on Spielvogel's behalf. The board of Lake Michigan College, which offers associate degrees, approved the settlement in December.
Spielvogel has said she was targeted after trying to address financial aid compliance issues at the school, where she started working in January 2016.
