Limestone University could face potential lawsuits:‘Don’t give up’
GAFFNEY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A group of Limestone University alumni and supporters are banding together for a potential lawsuit and a way to save the university from financial failure.
“I was speechless; and I was like, ‘Is this a prank?’ because I never saw that happening. I thought that they were thriving,” Meghan Dennehy, former Limestone lacrosse player and 2004 alumnus, said.
Dennehy told FOX Carolina no one from the university ever reached out to alumni for financial assistance and said she found out about the school’s troubles in April.
“I got sad for a little bit and then I said, ‘Ok, let’s do what we can to fight’...If there’s any chance to save it, I want to give it a shot,” she explained.
So, she did what many people would do: she turned to social media. Within 24 hours of the school’s announced closure, Dennehy created the ‘Saving Limestone’ page, which already has more than 360 supporters.
Dennehy said this isn’t the first time a small college has risen from the ashes.
“If you look at Sweet Briar in Virginia right now, they’re thriving.”
In 2015 administrators of the small all-women’s college announced they would have to close their doors due to financial difficulties. But thanks to quick action from alumni, supporters were able to bring their case to court and raise money by creating a non-profit to safeguard their funds.
Dennehy said a group of Saints are now mirroring those actions.
“If we join forces, hopefully we can build forces and overturn this decision to close.”
Dennehy also posed a question on people’s minds: What happens to the school’s championship trophies and plaques?
University officials are unable to give an answer right now. It’s an interesting question that’s making some even wonder what could happen to the statue of Gaffney football legend Bob Prevatte, which was made possible through a $4.1 million donation by Carolina Panther’s founder Jerry Richardson. It was the biggest single gift in Limestone history. To tackle the answer to these questions, it’s important to look back in time.
In 2018, under the presidency of Dr. Darrell Parker, the Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to a $34.5 million dollar loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The loan, in part, went towards the cost of Brown Residence Hall, refinancing loans and creating a new library and student center-the same building where trustees voted to close the school Tuesday night.
In order to do that, a university official said the school put part of the campus up for collateral.
Iowa Wesleyan University was also unable to pay their USDA loan. They eventually closed their doors in 2023, and the USDA soon took ownership of the campus.
Besides limestone alums, the Cherokee County School Board voted to allow their interim superintendent to explore negotiations regarding a potential purchase of parts of the school.
As for Dennehy, she said her message to anyone who wants to help: “(Do) not give up hope.”
FOX Carolina also discovered a class action law firm based in Chicago is investigating the university’s mass firing of faculty and staff, according to the firm’s web site.
FOX Carolina has reached out to the USADA and law firm for comment and will update this article when we hear back.
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