A Utah State College Japanese workers member who didn’t present up for work for greater than two years was nonetheless paid over $157,000 in wage and advantages whereas his administrator buddies coated for him, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The newspaper mentioned the worker was dwelling with one of many directors.
The college employed Warren Tyler Agner in July 2021 to help rural native companies, paying him with state funding and grants, the Tribune reported. Agner continued to obtain paychecks regardless that he was by no means within the workplace and a number of workers members complained about his absence to the college.
After receiving a tip, the Utah lawyer basic’s workplace prompted the college to start out an inside audit in July 2023, the Tribune reported. The college additionally performed a human sources investigation; Agner was fired in January, the newspaper reported. Inside Increased Ed was unable to achieve Agner Monday.
Associates of the college and of the packages Agner was imagined to work in informed the Tribune that companies weren’t receiving funds they relied on. The newspaper reported that Agner was dwelling with Jamie Cano, who was then the campus’s affiliate division head over skilled and technical training. Cano has since left the college.
Auditors accused Ethan Migliori, who was Agner’s direct supervisor and continues to be the Japanese director of noncredit coaching, of serving to cowl for Agner by doing his work, in line with the Tribune. Brian Warnick, the technical training division head, additionally reportedly supported Agner, saying he would do no matter it took to make sure that his good friend had entry to medical health insurance. The audit mentioned Agner had well being points and utilized for go away however didn’t say whether or not that was granted, the newspaper reported.
On Tuesday, the college responded with a press release to Inside Increased Ed: “USU is assured within the motion it has taken to carry workers accountable for failing to carry out their required duties and failing to adjust to USU insurance policies. When problems with noncompliance come up, our system depends upon workers reporting problems with concern to allow them to be correctly investigated and addressed. On this case, our system labored, and our grant packages and worker administration are stronger in consequence. We wish to reassure all workers that they shouldn’t be afraid to report something they assume is incorrect.”
