Marshall University officials are receiving more scrutiny over a grade change controversy involving the daughter of a state elected official.
Ry Rivard, writing for The Charleston Daily Mail, is reporting that the federal grand jury has asked professor Laura Wyant and Provost Gayle Ormiston to turn over any documents concerning the recent grade changes made to Emily Perdue’s transcript. Emily is ther daughter of West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue.
Provost Gayle Ormiston, the university’s official in charge of academics, and Laura Wyant, a professor in Marshall’s College of Education and Human Services, were both subpoenaed Thursday, Wyant and university officials said. They are expected to appear in early December before a federal grand jury.
The scope of federal investigators’ inquiry is not clear. They are prohibited from confirming or denying the existence of an investigation and did not comment on the Marshall situation.
Wyant said she had been asked to bring before the grand jury all records in her possession related to Emily Perdue. She said the FBI also interviewed her recently.
In a statement, Marshall said its provost also was subpoenaed Thursday.
“Marshall University Provost Gayle Ormiston was served today with a federal subpoena to be a fact witness for a grand jury investigation,” Marshall spokesman Bill Bissett said. “As we have done throughout this process, we will assist fully in this investigation. We remind you that an internal review was conducted, and we remain confident that there was no inappropriate action by Marshall University.”
Nelson Sorah, a spokesman for Treasurer Perdue, said the office had received “not a word” from federal investigators.
Emily Perdue had two incomplete grades changed to A’s by Rosalyn Anstine Templeton, Executive Dean of the Marshall University College of Education and Human Services, who had not taught the classes. Professor Wyant, the teacher of the class, did not give permission for the grades to be changed, nor had she received the completed course work in order to change the grades. The grades were changed in order for Emily to enter into Marshall’s Lewis College of Business.
At the end if September West Virginia Watchdog filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request for any emails, print records, or phone call records between Templeton and West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue. According to Bill Bissett, Chief of State and Senior Vice President for Communications, no such records exist (read here).
(Hat tip Lawrence Messina)
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[...] Marshall University Officials Subpoenaed in Grade Change Case. By Steven Allen Adams of West Virginia Watchdog. The daughter of the West Virginia State Treasurer was the beneficiary of suspicious grade changes by a Marshall University official who was not her teacher. [...]