The University of North Carolina has reached a settlement with the woman who blew the whistle on widespread academic fraud at the school that involved the football and men's basketball programs.
The school confirmed Tuesday it had come to terms with former learning specialist Mary Willingham, according to Charlotte television station WCNC. Terms were not disclosed. The sides had been in mediation after Willingham sued the university under the state's Whistleblower Protection Act.
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"The university has reached a settlement with Mrs. Willingham that resolves all of the outstanding legal issues in the case," Rick White, associate vice chancellor of communications and public affairs, said in a statement. "We appreciate the efforts of the mediator to help us achieve a successful conclusion to the mediation. The settlement is pending review and final action by (U.S. Circuit Court) Judge (Terrence) Boyle."
Willingham was hired by UNC's athletic department in December 2004. She moved to another position in the university in 2008, and in 2011 she began feeding information about academic fraud to reporters at the (Raleigh) News & Observer. She detailed the widespread practice of athletes and other students taking courses in African Afro-American Studies that involved little to no classwork.
She resigned from the university last April. She later sued UNC, claiming among other things that administrators called her a liar and disparaged her research in a faculty meeting.
Willingham is publishing a book on the scandal titled "Cheated: The UNC Scandal, the Education of Athletes and the Future of Big-time College Sports."