The golden parachute designed for former College of DuPage President Robert Breuder is part of a longstanding national controversy over large severance packages for public employees, and lawmakers and taxpayers are seeking solutions and reform, according to an analysis by the Better Government Association (BGA).
Breuder is part of a nationwide trend that involves public officials receiving large severance packages. Former Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee received more than $6 million, former Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin left with $1.6 million, and former North Dakota State University Chancellor Hamid Shirvani received more than $1.3 million.
In the last 10 years, Illinois has plenty of examples of such payouts: Richard Herman, Michael Hogan and Phyllis Wise, all of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, left in 2009, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Their payouts totaled nearly $1.9 million.
Robert Breuder
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Timothy Flanagan of Illinois State University left in 2014 with $480,400, Thomas Calhoun Jr. of Chicago State University left in 2016 with $605,000, and Doug Baker of Northern Illinois University left this year with $617,500.
In more than one case, officials resigned amid scandals.
Breuder received a $750,000 severance package after retiring early in light of multiple citations of misconduct, leading to outcries that the state abuses taxpayer dollars. After the board of trustees attempted to void his contract and fire Breuder, the former president sued the college for $2 million and appealed to the U.S. Appellate Court, where the case is pending.
Because of public outcry over Breuder, a General Assembly subcommittee came up with House Bill 3593, which passed in 2015. It stipulates that “1) severance pay may not exceed one year’s salary, 2) a contract may not exceed four years, 3) no automatic contract rollovers, renewals or extensions can be made without an open meeting, and 4) public notice must be made when a contract is entered into, amended, renewed, or extended,” the BGA report said.
The law doesn’t extend beyond community colleges, so it doesn’t set limits on severance packages for other public officials, such as police chiefs or county managers. The BGA included examples of those as well. In 2013, Metra CEO Alex Clifford resigned with a severance package totaling $652,300.
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