News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A WMed administrator involved in controversy at KPS has left his post

The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine in downtown Kalamazoo.
Courtesy WMed
The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine in downtown Kalamazoo.

A man whose side job led to an investigation at the Kalamazoo Public Schools has left his day job at a private medical school affiliated with Western Michigan University.

Jack Mosser was the Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Affairs at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine. He joined the staff in March 2020. A spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday that he left his post in the first week of January.

Last year, Mosser fundraised for a new foundation to support the Kalamazoo Public Schools. In five months, KPS paid him $76,000. It turned out he was hired without school board approval, or awareness of the foundation.

Former KPS Superintendent Rita Raichoudhuri signed off on at least some of the payments. In a Dec. 28 letter to the Board of Trustees, Interim Superintendent Cindy Green said the Raichoudhuri's signature was "only a first step" before getting board approval.

Raichoudhuri left KPS in early December. It's not clear if her sudden departure was connected to this issue, but 15 days later, KPS fired the administrator who hired Mosser for "gross negligence.”

The medical school did not return requests for comment on whether Mosser was fired in turn.

Leona has worked as a journalist for most of her life - in radio, print, television and as journalism instructor. She has a background in consumer news, special projects and investigative reporting.