Lindenwood athletics staff losing jobs sooner than planned because of coronavirus
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Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Lindenwood University is laying off its Belleville athletics staff sooner than planned as the college consolidates Belleville’s programs with those at its St. Charles location.
The associations for intercollegiate athletics canceled sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the staff will be terminated effective Friday instead of working through the end of the semester as planned, university spokesman Chris Duggan said in an email to the Belleville News-Democrat.
None of the Belleville coaches responded to a request for comment. They will receive severance packages, according to Duggan.
Lindenwood announced plans last year to stop offering daytime undergraduate academic programs in Belleville and to consolidate with the St. Charles campus by May 2020. The decision was made because of “financial and enrollment challenges” in Belleville, the university said at the time.
Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert continues to express disappointment that Lindenwood would end its day programs after the city invested in the campus.
“It’s a sad situation, a sad story,” Eckert said in an interview this week.
Students have been taking all their classes online since March 13 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. On-campus classes are canceled until at least May 17, according to Lindenwood’s website.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 12:20 PM.
