EAST LANSING, Mich. — MSU faculty members are demanding that former Michigan State University General Counsel Robert Young reject the payout he's getting for his contract.
That payout is more than $1 million.
Earlier this month, MSU removed Robert Young as its general counsel, but are still paying him out.
A new petition of over 200 faculty members is showing that others at the college don't want it to happen.
MSU Professor Catherine Lindell spearheaded the petition.
"Particularly given the context, the university is dealing with this crisis and we just thought that it would be a great show of support from him in helping the community to decline to accept the payoff, " said Lindell. "We are letting our voices be known because, too much during this whole crisis, the MSU community voice has not been listened to."
Young's salary was $425,000 a year and his contract was supposed to end in 2021, making its total value nearly $1.3 million.
Faculty members say the amount is excessive, especially since he was with the university only for eight months.
Dr. Robert Richardson also signed the petition.
He says the money could be more beneficial staying with the university in the future.
"The university faces a lot of financial restrains, and this would seem to add to that. He would be receiving pay that is for work that is not being performed," Richardson said.
"The survivors, of course, are the most important in this whole terrible situation. MSU students and faculty are all going to be dealing with this as well with the financial effects for years to come," said Lindell.
She took the petition to the General Counsel Office, which would give it to Young.
Lindell says she has not gotten an update on that yet.
FOX 47 News reached out to the university for a statement on the letter but has not received a response.
