100 WVIA Way
Pittston, PA 18640

Phone: 570-826-6144
Fax: 570-655-1180

Copyright © 2025 WVIA, all rights reserved. WVIA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mansfield, Lock Haven faculty plan 'no-confidence vote' on Commonwealth's president Hanna

Dr. Bashar Hanna
Submitted photo
Dr. Bashar Hanna

Faculty members and coaches at Commonwealth University's Lock Haven and Mansfield campuses plan to hold "no-confidence" votes early next year on university president Bashar Hanna.

Lock Haven made the announcement on Monday. A statement from Mansfield was released on Wednesday.

The announcements come as Hanna remains under scrutiny in the wake of last summer's $3.9 million federal jury verdict handed down against Hanna, the university, and other officials in a whistleblower case.

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties’ Lock Haven and Mansfield chapter executive councils voted in late November to send the vote to chapter members.

“Every indication is that our members are ready to take a stand,” Lock Haven APSCUF Chapter President Dr. Stanley Berard said in a statement released Monday.

“Mansfield is poised to stand in solidarity,” Mansfield APSCUF Chapter President Dr. Adrianne McEvoy said.

The votes are tentatively set for early February.

“A cascade of university-level decisions has compromised our day-to-day ability to guide and teach students. The retaliation verdict has further undermined employees’ trust in management,” Berard added.

There has been no word yet from faculty at the third campus, Bloomsburg.

A Commonwealth University spokesperson did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Case background

Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities merged on July 1, 2022 to become Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, with Hanna as its president.

Former Bloomsburg University dean Jeffrey Krug on Aug. 20 won a $3.9 million federal jury verdict over claims he faced retaliation and was fired for helping an administrative assistant file a sexual harassment report against Hanna in 2017.

With attorneys' fees and interest, the final verdict could reach $5 million according to Wilkes-Barre attorney Barry Dyller, who represented Krug.

But legal maneuvering over determination of the final verdict has prevented it from being decided.

Krug, former dean of the Zeigler College of Business and a tenured faculty member, was improperly terminated in 2018, according to his suit.

Krug sued Bloomsburg University, Hanna, university Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs James Krause and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Krug claimed he was subjected to false rumors of infidelity, a retaliatory investigation, denials of business travel and expense reimbursement and, ultimately, termination.

The state Attorney General's Office represented the university and the other defendants. The office countered in legal filings that Krug was fired for failing to follow "university policies and applicable law and not as a pretext for engaging in protected activity."

The federal jury in Harrisburg sided unambiguously with Krug against all defendants following a trial before U.S. District Judge Jennifer Wilson.

Jurors found Bloomsburg University, the State System, Hanna and Krause all guilty of retaliating against Krug in violation of Title IX, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law.

Title IX is a 1972 law that "protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance."

Commonwealth University's Council of Trustees in August expressed its "unwavering support" for Hanna, with Chair John E. Wetzel writing that Hanna was previously cleared by an internal investigation.

Calls for Hanna to step down

APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash in November released a statement saying Hanna needed to step down or be fired.

"For some time, the fledgling consolidated university has had budget woes, declining enrollment, hiring issues, major technical failures, various leadership crises and sinking morale. And while those are issues that would lead a rational person to wonder why he is still president, after a jury found him liable for wrongful termination, there are no more excuses," Mash wrote.

He reiterated those concerns this week.

“We went directly to these entities and said as little in public as possible for as long as possible because we did not want to disrupt students or raise concerns about the quality of education available at Commonwealth University,” Mash said of the council of trustees, State System leadership, and Hanna.

“But now this dearth of leadership is affecting students too much to remain silent. State APSCUF supports this vote of no confidence in the Commonwealth president as a starting point,” Mash added.

“If the council of trustees wants to support Hanna, they should do so in a public meeting with a roll-call vote,” he said.

Legal status of court case

"We are disappointed with the decision and are reviewing options with legal counsel with every intent to appeal," the university said in a statement released in the wake of the verdict.

A State System spokesman in August replied only “we do not discuss litigation,” when asked about a possible appeal.

Federal court records show that state Attorney General Michelle Henry in September filed a motion seeking a judgement in the defendants' favor or a new trial.

Among the arguments cited in that motion, the defendants contended "no actual evidence beyond conjecture was introduced at trial that establishes that [Hanna] took any action relating to the termination of [Krug's] employment, and thus cannot be liable on any count brought before the Court."

They also argued that "improper character evidence of past alleged wrongdoing" by Hanna was presented to the jury.

The defendants in October filed a request seeking more time to prepare their post-trial briefs, because it would take roughly 30 days for transcripts from the lengthy trial to be available.

Dyller replied that the defendants are in "delay mode" amid legal proceedings over how much Krug would be paid.

"The trial was clean and error-free, and we do not wish to jeopardize it in any way. We believe attorneys should have the time they need to properly represent their clients and brief substantive issues," Dyller wrote.

"But the delay and gamesmanship is also clear, and we wish the Court to be cognizant of it," he added.

Court records show that the transcripts appear to have been filed on Nov. 11, but were not made public, with redaction requests due Dec. 2 and a redacted transcript deadline set for 12/12/2024.

There do not appear to have been any further filings since that time.

Roger DuPuis joins WVIA News from the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. His 24 years of experience in journalism, as both a reporter and editor, included several years at The Scranton Times-Tribune. His beat assignments have ranged from breaking news, local government and politics, to business, healthcare, and transportation. He has a lifelong interest in urban transit, particularly light rail, and authored a book about Philadelphia's trolley system.

You can email Roger at rogerdupuis@wvia.org
Related Stories