State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.
“Today
my office issued a demand for $1,912.42 ($946.74 principal and $965.68
interest and investigative costs) to Prof. James Thomas for his ‘work
stoppage’ (his words) on September 8th and 9th.
‘Concerted work stoppages’ and strikes are illegal under Mississippi’s
no-strike law, and paying someone for not working violates Sections 66
and 96 of the state constitution. It’s simple—the taxpayers of
Mississippi cannot pay someone when they did not provide
the good or service they were hired to provide.
In this case, Prof. Thomas told the world on social media and his students in writing what he was doing:
‘I
have strong feelings about this – if you have tenure, your
#ScholarStrike activity needs to be a work stoppage. Tell your students
you’re not working.’
Over
two days Prof. Thomas ignored every single email from his students. My
agents and I personally read each of those emails. One student was
worried because they were having trouble responding
to a writing prompt. Another could not access a lesson plan online. One
student could not submit an assignment on time because of a technology
problem and worried about getting full credit. Still another was worried
about an assignment and asked if Prof. Thomas
would be responding while on Scholar Strike. There are others.
Prof. Thomas had three classes to teach on those two days, and he did not teach them. He also told his students,
‘I will not be responding to emails’ and
‘I will not be holding meetings via zoom, including office hours . . .’
In
short, he refused to perform his job duties, and his tuition-paying
students suffered as a result. The taxpayers and donors to the
university suffered, too. When Prof. Thomas realized he was
going to be called on the carpet for not performing these duties, he
attempted to explain by saying, ‘100 percent of my job requires time
spent thinking . . . . If I’m thinking I’m working.’
Thinking
isn’t going to cut it with me. If an employee of the state auditor’s
office came to me and said they would not be responding to my emails,
they would not be at work, they would not be performing
audits, they would not be available for calls, they would not be
available for meetings, and that this was a work stoppage, but they
would be thinking over the next two days, I would not pay them.
Prof.
Thomas’s attorney has never made an argument that addresses a basic
principle in the Mississippi constitution and law: you cannot be paid if
you did not work. I suspect this is because his
attorney knows Prof. Thomas has no argument about Sections 66 and 96 of
the constitution and the law.
The
Office of the State Auditor takes Prof. Thomas at his word that he
engaged in a work stoppage. If Prof. Thomas wants to make the argument
that he lied and didn’t actually engage in a work stoppage,
then he and his lawyer are free to try to spin that yarn now.
As
for Prof. Thomas’s termination, our investigation revealed that Prof.
Thomas’s contract is with the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). IHL
will ultimately have to decide if they will take
Prof. Thomas to court to hear the matter of his termination. Questions
about that should be directed to IHL.”
If Prof. Thomas fails to pay the demand within thirty days, the case will be referred to the Attorney General’s Office. In September, Texas A&M University suspended Professor Wendy Lee Moore for two days without pay for her participation in the Scholar Strike.
29 comments:
This is fantastic! Keep of the great work Shad.
Professors like this guy are not interested in teaching or education. They are only interested in indoctrination.
This snowflake libtard needs to transfer to UC Berkeley where he would be accepted with open arms.
He should be fired by the University for being a law breaker.
Thomas should write the check ASAP as the bill only increases daily. In the end he's going to lose.
dont stop with just him, plenty of professors hardly working...
If you let one person break the law, everyone will want a free pass. Keep up the good work.
Shad, "It’s simple—the taxpayers of Mississippi cannot pay someone when they did not provide the good or service they were hired to provide."
Taxpayers, "Great. Now apply that to Brett."
The auditor is young but is already fluent in abusing his power. Sounds like he had a future in politics in the fiftieth state.
I wonder when we'll see Shad's demand letter to Brett Favre?
Thank you Shad. Good job.
Thomas is a narcissist.
@ 2:36 and Shad is not a narcissist? Oh that's right, he's just trying "to live His will".
Why is the demand against the instructor? Someone at Ole Miss authorized the payment after the instructor put the world on notice that he was not working. Seems like the demand should start at top and let them recover the funds from their public servant.
Lock his ass up!
" 100 percent of my job requires time spent thinking . . . . If I’m thinking I’m working.’
This dude actually said that ?
Laughing my ass off !
" The auditor is young but is already fluent in abusing his power. "
How is the State Auditor abusing his power ?
Please elaborate 1:44.
This "professor" was not following any State of Mississippi Employee regulations.
If I had to follow the rules for thirty years at a State Agency . . . why does this guy not have to follow the same procedures ?
Saw on FB that Dickie Scruggs offered to pay for him.
" Dickie Scruggs "
That name always me me laugh.
Apparently Zeus thinks he can ascend Mount Olympus again.
The professor and the auditor are both a couple prima donnas who just need attention. They probably would be good friends if they met under different circumstances.
A while back I went on the professors Facebook page and was shocked by the numbers of UM professors back him and advocate for a Union. I thought he was just one but it appears there are many others.
" I went on the professors Facebook page and was shocked by the numbers of UM professors back him "
Honest question:
Where have you been ?
This isn't a Mississippi thing, but has been going around the nation's "academic institutions" for many years.
Now forget about the Professor for a second and try to put yourself into the shoes of that student that was very worried about failing his class. The student may have only had a simply question . . . but Professor dumbass was "on strike" that day.
Shad just got my vote.
I'll write the same thing I wrote last time this was posted here.
Fire his ass. Sociologists should be as cheap as dirt. There are thousands of them out in the unemployed market who would likely volunteer to kill the OM Prof to get his job. Many of them at a lower salary than he makes.
@6:31 and that’s all he cares about. Shad, like previous state auditors, is using the position for his own personal gain and political aspirations. It is what it is. Sorry to all you true believers who think he actually cares about MS taxpayer dollars. BS.
For the chortling cormorant who perpetually grunts about Brett Favre: First, he is not and has never been a state employee. Secondly, he fulfilled the obligations of the contract into which he entered. Thirdly, shut the hell up with your perpetual grunts from the throne down the hall.
This is a political red herring to distract people from the TANF incompetency of assigning this to Jody Owens. And I'm not talking about #4. It goes much, much higher.
SECTION 96.
The legislature shall never grant extra compensation, fee, or allowance, to any public officer, agent, servant, or contractor, after service rendered or contract made, nor authorize payment, or part payment, of any claim under any contract not authorized by law; but appropriations may be made for expenditures in repelling invasion, preventing or suppressing insurrections.
In his earlier letter, Shadrack cited the good prof for violation of the union strike provision for certified teachers in a public school district. Glad to see Shad is upping his game!
What a douche.
I have had three of my four children attend college already. I laugh my ass off whenever I go to the events held at the college.
The (mostly) liberal professors and administration walk around in their gowns with ropes and colors which signify their rank among their peers. It is a total clown show. Hello Dr., good morning Dr., Nice to see you Dr. and on and on.
Fortunately as students age they realize these teachers and professors for what they are.
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