Wiltse lawsuit continues

Delta College’s former police chief awaits his day in court on his Whistleblower Protection Act wrongful firing lawsuit against the college.

Michael Wiltse, now working as an instructor at Lansing Community College, refused comment when reached by the Collegiate other than to say “I did not violate FERPA.”

Wiltse claims he was was fired June 12. He filed a suit in Bay County Circuit Court against Delta College and top administrators in September claiming he was fired for “blowing the whistle” on non-specific wrong-doing of others. He is seeking more than $100,000 in compensation for wrongful discharge.

In its answer to the suit, the college contends that Wiltse’s termination was justified, and also that Wiltse because of alleged violations of the Federal Educational Rights to Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of student records.

On April 24, Margaret Mosqueda, Vice President of Student and Educational Services at Delta College, is scheduled to give a deposition in the lawsuit.

The witness list in the court file lists Wiltse, President Jean Goodnow, Mosqueda and several other Delta College faculty and staff as potential witnesses.

The exhibit list, created on Dec. 17, lists Wiltse’s personnel file, e-mails concerning Wiltse, grievances filed by Wiltse, memos, notes, items and things concerning Wiltse, educational and employment records of Wiltse, Goodnow and Mosqueda and video and audio recordings concerning Wiltse as potential exhibits.

Judge Kenneth W. Schmidt set a settlement conference date for the case for Aug. 14.

Delta College and Wiltse are also involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit, originally filed in 2011. Mosqueda and Wiltse are defendants in the case. A former Delta College clerical employee claims Mosqueda and Wiltse breached Delta’s employment contract regarding protection from sexual harassment. The settlement conference for this case also in Bay County Circuit Court, is set for April 22.