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Pay problem for Southern professors continues for summer session
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BATON ROUGE- Three weeks after the WBRZ Investigative Unit exposed at least a handful of professors had not been paid for their work teaching summer school at Southern University, multiple professors still have not been paid.
At the beginning of this month, WBRZ published an email that went out to staff saying the lack of payment was blamed on a severe backlog figuring out the number of summer school students and who has paid for school so far.
Southern University officials claimed that email went out in error and blamed the lack of payments on a technical glitch.
In February, another technical glitch was cited for payroll problems after some instructors didn't get raises approved by the university.
"This isn't something that's happened one time or two times, it's not some COVID extension," Dr. Albert Samuels said. "It's systemic and structural. No one has done anything about it."
Samuels talked to us earlier this month as he was at the administrative building checking on the status of his paycheck. This week, he confirmed he was paid not long after doing that interview.
When the WBRZ Investigative Unit exposed this problem three weeks ago, we were told by the university only three instructors had not been paid. But from that point until today, some instructors have been paid. Friday, the university said three instructors still have not been paid, raising questions about the total number of instructors teaching summer school not paid for their work.
"Put yourself in our shoes," Samuels said. "How would you feel if your salary was delayed? Do you think it's fun? Do you think it's fair? Leadership requires you to put people first."
WBRZ has been asking for an update for a week. Friday, a spokeswoman issued the following statement:
To our knowledge, there are three faculty members who were scheduled and have not been paid for the June 30 pay period. All have individual administrative situations that the University is addressing to ensure payment is made for the July 31 pay period.
The final day of summer classes is July 29.
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