Hillard files legal grievance against U.

Community House Assistant Dean-in-Residence Judith Hillard said she is pursuing legal action against the University in the hopes of retaining her job. Hillard's announcement follows a University investigation into allegations she misused work-study money. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone began an investigation into Hillard's activities after two Community House residents alleged that Hillard often used work-study staff working in the Community House office to run personal errands for her while they were on duty. Hillard denies any wrong doing. The students alleged the personal errands included moving Hillard's car, buying her groceries, returning and picking up her video rentals and going to the MAC machine for her. Simeone concluded her investigation into Hillard's activities late last month but refused to make the results public, citing University regulations requiring personnel matters to remain confidential. But sources close to Simeone's investigation said last week that Hillard is being transferred to a similar administrative position within the Residential Living Department, but was being removed from work-study supervision. Hillard, who refused to comment extensively on the case, said last week that she has also heard reports that she will be transferred, but that "nothing has been confirmed yet." She added that she has filed a "legal grievance" against the University in order to keep her current job in Community House, a college house in the Quadrangle. Hillard's attorney could not be reached for comment and Hillard refused to specify the nature of her grievance. Pending Simeone's report, Community House's work-study money was recaptured by the University in April, Student Employment Manager John Rudolph said. This means the University is now paying Community House office workers from a University account that includes no federal money. Rudolph refused to reveal the amount of money involved, but sources place the figure recaptured at $10,000 to $20,000. Hillard said previously that if work-study students did personal jobs for her, they were compensated by her, and not by the University. Eight Community House office staff contacted by The Daily Pennsylvanian said they had been asked to run errands for Hillard and none of these students said Hillard compensated them separately. If the allegations against Hillard are true, they constitute a violation of federal work-study guidelines, Rudolph said. And he said that Hillard "had been removed as a federal work-study supervisor." Wharton senior and a resident advisor in Community House David Schlosser alleged that Simeone knew about problems with Hillard's use of work-study staff in December and failed to take action to prevent further abuse. Schlosser brought up an incident in which Hillard asked a work-study staffer to do personal tasks for her during a meeting he had with both Hillard and Simeone just prior to winter break. Simeone said last month that she had investigated Schlosser's allegations in January and concluded that Hillard had a legitimate explanation of the events Schlosser described. She refused to comment on what Hillard's explanation was. But Deputy Provost George Koval said he was satisfied with Simeone's investigation into the earlier allegations.

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