In early July former academic advisor Mary Willingham filed a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina, alleging that her concerns regarding the education of student-athletes were not addressed and that she’d been demoted and reassigned after bringing up those issues. With this and the Rashad McCants situation to address, the school also has to deal with the NCAA deciding to reopen its investigation into allegations of academic fraud.
With regards to the Willingham suit North Carolina has gone with the strategy of requesting that the case be moved to federal court according to WNCN News. The school would like to see Willingham’s suit moved from district court in Wake County to a US District Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Willingham, who is seeking damages from the school, also stated that the research she’d done that revealed that some 60 percent of student-athletes at UNC read at no better than an eighth grade level, was incorrectly explained at a faculty meeting by UNC Provost James Dean. Dean also stated that Willingham’s research was “a travesty” according to WNCN.