Jessie Goodson, Campus Carrier News Editor

Berry’s neighboring school, Shorter University, has laid off at least 12 employees due to low enrollment, according to two anonymous former and current Shorter employees. 

The Rome News Tribune reported that the two sources said that Shorter has eliminated all of the assistant director positions. When the Rome News-Tribune asked Shorter University Spokeswoman Dawn Tolbert about the layoffs, she replied, “It is the university’s policy not to comment on personnel matters.” 

In a Feb. 22 Rome News-Tribune article, Spencer Lahr stated that the Shorter Director of Campus Safety, Paula Penson, was fired. In November 2017, Penson alleged sexual and work harassment against her by the former Vice President of Student Affairs Corey Humphries, who resigned from his position in November. 

According to conflict investigator David Archer, an investigation found that Humphries’ actions didn’t “rise to the level of sexual harassment under the law,” but “violated Shorter’s policy against inappropriate touching.” The documents regarding this information came from the Rome News- Tribune. 

The assistant director of campus safety, James Hall, was also fired in mid-December. This termination came soon after a report detailing his claims that the university failed to follow policy in the handling of a sexual harassment complaint was published in the Rome News-Tribune.