When Hattiesburg lawyer Kim Chaze took on the University of Southern Mississippi in 1985 for the first time, he was on unfamiliar ground.
“Kim didn’t know a lot about the university system at the beginning, but before our case was over I think he knew more about the university than university officials did,” said Linda Donnell, a USM employee who claimed she was wrongfully terminated from Southern Miss.
Chaze won that legal battle and has represented at least 50 faculty, students and staff in lawsuits or complaints filed against Southern Miss.
According to Forrest County Circuit court records, Chaze represents 14 of 21 plaintiffs with actions outstanding against the university dating to 1997. Information on five other lawsuits filed during that time period were not available. There were a total of 36 lawsuits filed against the university in the last five years in either circuit or U.S. District Court and 10 have been settled.
There are 11 lawsuits pending from years prior to 1997.
A review of the 21 court files that are available shows that Chaze handles the majority of lawsuits against the school.
“I’ve always believed that people should be treated fairly and I know this sounds corny, but I don’t think large institutions should be allowed to trample on the rights of people,” Chaze said.