A DeKalb County Board member is suing the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees over President Doug Baker’s severance package.
Misty Haji-Sheikh is suing NIU trustees over Baker’s more than $600,000 severance package. The lawsuit says the trustees violated the Open Meetings Act by not revealing the terms of Baker’s severance until the end of the meeting, when his departure was announced.
The complaint says the Board did not give proper notice to the public regarding proposed changes to Baker’s contract. It says the only information given in the public notice was an agenda item that read “presidential employment – review and approval.”
The complaint also says the board did not provide an opportunity for public comment after it held a seven-hour closed session.
Baker resigned after an Office of Executive Inspector General report showed improper hiring at NIU.
