[This is a follow-up to last week's news post "Lawsuit Filed Against Monaghan/AMSL". Start there.]

Naples Daily News (Florida) excerpt from article last week:
"The heart of the suit, Gordon said, is Monaghan’s involvement in multiple organizations including those in which he has a financial stake. That involvement violates the law school board’s independence from Monaghan’s “tentacles.”
“We think we can prove the illegal acts by showing the connections between Monaghan, the board and his other organizations,” she said. Gordon said she planned to depose Monaghan, Dobranski and various past and present members of the school’s board, which currently includes high-ranking Catholic Church officials such as, Cardinal Edward Egan, the archbishop of New York and Cardinal Adam Maida, the archbishop of Detroit."

Finally.

This is the itch that AveWatch has been scratching for over a year, and the big story that nobody in the main stream media will mention. Ample evidence demonstrates that, for years, Tom Monaghan has coercively used the Ave Maria Foundation to improperly create and run other non-profit and for-profit ventures that are managed centrally on Monaghan's whim rather than as independent autonomous entities. Through financial coercion, he forces the recipients of his "philanthropy" to put duty to Himself above fiduciary duties to the organization. Tom Monaghan's good supersedes all other duties in these organizations. Monaghan's person, his Foundation, and his for-profit Florida businesses - including his mega-development Ave Maria Town - have benefited at the expense of Michigan's Ave Maria School of Law, Ave Maria College, and their respective alumni, employees, donors, and students.

For a wide-angle view of such evidence, start at AveWatch's "Must Read" and Quotes pages. Individual stories are also categorized by "topic" (i.e. "School of Law") or by "tags" found in the right menu bar's bottom (i.e. "conflict-of-interest").

For a more focused view of the issues specifically mentioned in the Law School suit filed yesterday, consider the following:

Treatment of professors Safranek, Lyons, Pucillo
+ background here; details & developments in series "Dean Runs Amok"

AMSL's help given to a local priest investigated for child pornography, hidden from police
+ background here; details & developments in series "BoysCherries"

Tom Monaghan benefits significantly in ventures unrelated to the Law School by forcing the institution to move to his south Florida real estate development, Ave Maria Town, or face closure.
+ Monaghan personally owns a large section of the Town's prime real estate.
+ Monaghan and his AMSL CFO Paul Roney will benefit significantly by the Law School's move to Florida through the twosome's quiet private for-profit business (Nua Baile), hidden as a partner in Ave Maria Development, the lone real estate business that controls Ave Maria Town.
+ Monaghan is a partner in businesses hand-picked to benefit from Ave Maria Town's growth - from road and home construction materials to condo sales.
+ Monaghan helped start a bank specifically designed to benefit from Ave Maria Town growth (see also)

Ave Maria School of Law may, by design, have no long-term financial plan apart from Tom Monaghan's Ave Maria Foundation.
+ Former AMU CFO Speaks : shocking testimony under oath
+ Falvey: Monaghan $ Destabilizes AMSL
+ Dobranski Credibility Bottoms
+ AMSL Financial Stability Questioned

Ave Maria has engaged in questionable financial dealings.
+ Ave Maria Helps Democrat Financier
+ Fr. Fessio's Bank Account
+ AMSL Study Forgets Michigan Tax-payer
+ AMSL Balance Rises on AMF Loan
+ Nicaragua's Financial Aid Irregularities
+ AMU Accreditor Still Fumbling

Tom Monaghan populates his Ave Maria boards with individuals beholden to him.
+ Follow the Money, Find Board Members
+ Catholic Education's Version of The Borg
+ AMSL Board Reels With Change
+ Accreditation, Boards, and Conflicts
+ Healy: The Decision Was Monaghan's
+ Call the Media, *Then* Vote: this is an important story to show how grandiose plans to announce the Law School's Florida move were initiated long before the School's Board deliberated and voted on the move
+ Burtchaell: "Obvious Impropriety"

Ave Maria administrators use a culture of intimidation to maintain Monaghan's control.
+ AMSL Intimidates Honor Student
+ Monaghan Security Watches Professor / Town
+ Woman Kneels Before Monaghan
+ Fabricating an Air of Sexual Harassment; Intimidation and Uninvited Touching?
+ Dean Retaliates Against Whistleblower
+ Ave Prof Complains to DOE / Embassy (also Ave Prof Gets Partial Restitution)
+ Dean Takes Marbles Home w/Alums
+ Admin Thugs Whack Student Critic
+ Admins: School is "Failed Experiment"
+ Monaghan Preps for Supreme Court
+ Fessio Fired
+ AMU Students "Beg" to Leave
+ AMU's "Climate of Fear"
+ AMSL Railroads/Misrepresents Alumni
+ Catholic Social Teaching
+ Faculty Coerced
+ Rice Dismissed

hat-tip: ThePolitic.com

Tags: lawsuit