It’s a very real possibility, says Russell Penzer, the attorney representing the six SB Southampton students who won a lawsuit brought against the university for illegally closing the south shore campus last spring.
Judge Peter Baisley Jr. handed down a ruling on August 27 stating that Stony Brook University acted illegally when it decided to cease the majority of operations on the campus. A decision as significant as the closure of an entire campus warranted approval from the 10-member Stony Brook Council, ruled Baisley, and no such approval was ever sought.
University spokeswoman Lauren Sheprow said that the council was notified of President Stanley’s decision to “relocate a number of academic programs from Southampton to the Stony Brook campus” at a May 11 meeting of the council, but that was weeks after the announcement was made to students at Southampton.
Penzer has filed a proposed judgement to the court that calls on Stony Brook University to reopen the campus this spring. If Judge Baisley accepts Penzer’s proposal in his final judgement, Stony Brook would be forced to reopen the campus or find itself in contempt of court.
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