Senator wants to hold up UD trustee reappointment until questions are answered

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A state senator is asking that allegations of sexual harassment against prominent lawyer Stuart Grant be investigated before an appointment to the University of Delaware board moves forward.

Delaware Public Media reported that   Sen. Dave McBride, D-New Castle,  asked that Gov. John Carney hold back  Grant’s reappointment to the board of trustees until the matter is investigated.

Carney’s spokesman Jonathan Starkey released the following: “The Governor believes all reports of sexual harassment should be taken seriously. We don’t have details of allegations against Mr. Grant, so we’re not able to offer any specific comment.”

The issue has been simmering since a story was posted in March from the Review  student newspaper at the University of Delaware on a lawsuit filed against Grant in a matter related to his Wilmington law firm of Grant & Eisenhofer.

An email from a   lawyer at the firm cited the work environment and made a reference to sexual harassment.

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Grant is a major donor to the University of Delaware and is slated to have a graduate college named in his honor. UD is currently undertaking a $750 million fund-raising campaign that has highlighted a $10 million contribution by Grant.

Grant & Eisenhofer specializes in shareholder lawsuits against companies.

 The suits are typically filed by unions or other stockholders over the withholding of information that may have affected the stock prices of the companies. Fees that result from settlements can be large.

Grant may be best known for winning a  lawsuit involving the buyout of fruit giant Dole and whether shareholders got a raw deal.

While the University of Delaware has sometimes been labeled as a private university, appointments to the Board of Trustees do require confirmation from the State Senate.

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