Metro College files suit

Claiming it was unfairly shorted $10.8 million in state aid, Metropolitan Community College filed a lawsuit Friday against the state’s five other community colleges.

Metro contends that the other colleges submitted “contrived” revenue figures to the state that had the effect of boosting their state aid at Metro’s expense.

The lawsuit, filed in Lancaster County District Court, had been expected after Metro’s board voted to sue last month.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Metro said the suit “seeks to recover MCC’s proper amount of state aid and to halt improper distributions of state aid.”

Named as defendants in the suit are Central Community College, Northeast Community College, Mid-Plains Community College, Southeast Community College and Western Community College. The leaders of those colleges and several state officials, acting in their official capacities, also were named as defendants.

Jack Huck, president of Southeast Community College, declined to comment Friday, saying he hadn’t seen a copy of the suit.

After the Metro board’s vote, Huck said that the decision to sue “saddens me deeply” and that a suit would continue to “drive a wedge” between Metro and the other community colleges.

Dennis Baack, executive director of the Nebraska Community College Association, could not be reached for comment. The association, which was not named in the suit, coordinates the activities of the five colleges named as defendants. Metro was expelled from the group earlier this year for refusing to pay dues.

The lawsuit is the latest chapter in a bitter funding dispute. Metro contends that the other community colleges intentionally lowered tuition numbers so that they could receive a bigger piece of state aid. The colleges have accused Metro of using questionable accounting itself to land more state aid.

Contact the writer:

444-1149, tom.shaw@owh.com

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