S.C. State, Hugine resolve lawsuit
By Diane Knich
South Carolina State University and Andrew Hugine, its former president, have resolved a multimillion-dollar lawsuit that he filed after the school's Board of Trustees decided not to renew his contract, effectively firing him.
After leaving S.C. State, Andrew Hugine was named president at Alabama A&M.
S.C. State, in a news release Wednesday, said the lawsuit was resolved with a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice, which will forever end litigation in the matter.
The release did not state whether Hugine received any money in the settlement.
According to the Orangeburg Times and Democrat, Hugine had asked for no more than $1 million, but accepted $60,000 in the settlement.
The Orangeburg newspaper also stated that Hugine's lawyer, Benjamin Mabry, said Hugine agreed to the settlement because he still loves South Carolina State University and wanted to settle the lawsuit amicably.
The school's Board of Trustees in December 2007 decided against renewing Hugine's contract. According to Hugine's last performance evaluation, board members thought he fell short on improving academics and enhancing student life at the state's only historically black public university.
The review, which the university released about a month after Hugine's departure, showed that the board had given Hugine an overall score of 2.84 out of a possible 5.0.
In the suit, filed in July 2008 in Orangeburg County, Hugine accused seven trustees and one ex-officio board member of defamation of character and conspiracy. The suit said that seven board members appointed to evaluate his performance "defamed (Hugine) by falsely accusing him of negligent and or intentional misconduct in his evaluation."
Hugine accused S.C. State of breaching his 2005 employment agreement, and sought $1 million from the university. He also had asked for a total of $2 million from the individual defendants, according to the lawsuit; but he previously dismissed with prejudice those defendants, all Board of Trustee and faculty members who had been named in the lawsuit, according to the news release.
The release also stated that Hugine's action demonstrated the former president's desire to move beyond the controversy and to look to the future.
Hugine has been hired as the president at Alabama A&M University.
Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.
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