Whistleblower sues university, claims retaliation for exposing corruption

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Kennesaw State University employee is now suing the school, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and two food service companies which she says paid tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to her former boss.

Tracy Nunn worked as an administrative assistant to KSU dining director Gary Coltek, who resigned last year while under investigation for many of the same allegations raised in Nunn's new lawsuit.

%

%

"She came forward when she was asked to tell what happened. That's when she realized, 'This is what I'm doing,'" said Michael Puglise, Nunn's attorney.

Nunn says Coltek repeatedly made her do work for his private consulting companies while on KSU time. She says that included committing crimes by facilitating at least $65,000 in kickbacks from food service vendors in exchange for KSU contracts.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Child in critical condition after parents' murder-suicide
• Mother arrested for leaving young children in hot car
• Nanny cam catches thief with rifle breaking into home

"This was across the board, everybody knew about it, everybody kept quiet. They condoned it," said Puglise.

He says the coverup included the highest-ranking KSU officials -- vice presidents, the legal counsel, even President Daniel Papp, who abruptly retired earlier this summer while under investigation. At least six of those officials are out of a job in connection with this investigation.

"She was told, 'Don't email us, that'll create a record of this,'" said Puglise, "She was smart enough to know, 'Hey, I'm being set up.'"

He says the kickbacks were coming from many places, the food service management companies, ingredient vendors, even the hand sanitizer company.

Once Nunn realized the university was trying to make her a scapegoat, she started documenting everything, including payments vendors made to Coltek through his companies.

"You've got to understand the setup at KSU, anybody that spoke out against the system lost their job. You do as you're told," said Puglise.

Channel 2 has confirmed at least some of these allegations are already under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the attorney general's office.

Puglise says Nunn never got a thank you for what she brought to light, instead he says she's faced retaliation, which sends the wrong message and discourages other would-be whistleblowers.

Cox Media Group