Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) is dedicated to providing a quality nursing school despite a recent complaint alleging whistleblower retaliation and breach of contract, according to a spokesperson.
“We know how important our nursing program is to this university as well as the Four State area and we are unequivocally dedicated and committed to ensuring it is of exceptional quality and will provide students with an outstanding educational experience,” said Mike Olmstead, director of MSSU’s news services and messaging.
Three plaintiffs, who are former workers in the university’s nursing program, claim they were terminated after complaining of inadequate staffing, inadequate teacher to student ratio, and unfair treatment of faculty, according to media reports.
For example, the complaint states, “Plaintiff worked under a series of one-year contracts with the defendant. Defendant's policies required that notice of renewal or non-renewal be sent by March 1 of each year. Defendant did not inform plaintiff on non-renewal by March 1, 2020. Instead, plaintiff (was) verbally told she would be renewed and was provided with a contract to teach the following year- 2020 to 2021. The contract was due to be signed and returned by early August 2020.”
Olmstead declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Sara Staples, Peyton Kessler and Coeta Ogle filed the lawsuit in Jasper County Circuit Court last week, citing the Missouri Nursing Act, which establishes rules for statewide approval of an accredited nursing program.
The nursing program has been under investigation by the Missouri State Board of Nursing since the Spring of 2020, as previously reported.
NBC noted this summer that the university had put the nursing program on pause because its pass rates had not met state standards.
Olmstead declined to comment further.