Stanard C. Johnson, a former supervisor of grounds and maintenance at South Carolina State University, has filed a $3 million lawsuit against three university officials and two contractors, alleging those individuals and companies conspired to punish him for reporting improprieties.

Johnson was fired in 2006 because he hired an employee with a criminal background. However, the suit claims that Director of Campus Services Dr. Myron Samuels actually hired the employee but made it appear Johnson had done so as a means of justifying his dismissal.

"First and foremost, I don't want to say anything until I receive notice of a lawsuit and what the university's response would be," Samuels said.

The suit names Samuels, Senior Vice President of Finance John Smalls, Director of Human Resources Anna Haigler, Sodexho Inc. and Enviro AgScience Inc. as defendants.

In April, the State Employee Grievance Committee ruled in Johnson's favor, requiring the university to reinstate him and pay all of his back pay and benefits.

The suit claims the university has not restored him to his original position but kept him in a hostile work environment and regulated him to menial tasks.

A press release from Johnson's Columbia-based attorney J. Lewis Cromer said his duties primarily involve mowing grass.

Reached by phone, Haigler had no comment. A message left for Smalls was not immediately returned.

An attempt to reach Cromer on Friday was also unsuccessful.

Russell Branch, a manager at Enviro AgScience, says the company has not been involved with the university since its contract ended several years ago. Branch specifically stated Johnson was still employed by S.C. State at that time.

The Times and Democrat reported in July 2004 that grounds maintenance at S.C. State was outsourced to Enviro AgScience and that Sodexho was awarded a seven-year contract to provide food services.

Enviro AgScience has not been under contract with the university since Dec. 31, 2005. Currently, ground maintenance is under S.C. State's control while Sodexho still provides food services to the campus.

The suit says that when Smalls began his tenure at S.C. State, he desired to phase out Johnson's department in favor of outsourcing those services. It also claims that Samuels and Smalls bypassed both state procurement laws and bidding procedures to hire the firms of Enviro AgScience and Sodexho.

"Upon information and belief, Smalls and Samuels had personal and financial connections with these vendors which were known to the plaintiff (Johnson) and others," the suit said.

Through the suit, Johnson said he told university officials and others that Enviro AgScience and Sodexho used "what he perceived to be wasteful and extravagant practices." He also told people that the two companies were overcharging the university, in addition to neglecting serious maintenance needs and creating safety hazards.

The suit claims Samuels, Smalls and officials from Sodexho and Enviro AgScience met several times to conspire to silence Johnson's claims.

It goes on to say that Haigler joined Samuels and Smalls in the plan to make it appear Johnson hired an employee with a criminal record, which resulted in his termination of employment at S.C. State.

Because Johnson "sustained the loss of his job, loss of future earnings and benefits, his reputation has been damaged and he has sustained embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress," the suit says he is entitled to a total of $3 million in actual and punitive damages.

Johnson has requested a jury trial for the lawsuit proceedings.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can reached at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com and 803-534-1060. Comment on this and other stories at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com.

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