A severance package handed out to the exiting president of Northern Illinois University is drawing attention from state lawmakers.
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DEKALB — A severance package handed out to the exiting president of Northern Illinois University is drawing attention from state lawmakers.
Doug Baker announced his resignation June 15 at an NIU Board of Trustees meeting. He’s leaving the school following a report by the state’s Inspector General that alleged improper spending and hiring.
Under an agreement approved by the trustees, Baker will receive around $600,000 plus benefits when he steps down.
State Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, is outraged at what he calls a “golden parachute” provided to Baker as he leaves DeKalb.
“There’s no reason to, if somebody’s under investigation, to give them a massive payout to walk away,” Cullerton said. “If he was mislabeling titles, bringing on friends or acquaintances to do jobs … that’s a huge problem. That needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed across the board.”