ST. CROIX — Peter Chapman recently settled his dispute with the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park through mediation, after filing a whistleblower complaint last November and a lawsuit alleging discrimination based on disability in April, according to a court document.
Chapman, a New York City native with family ties to the Caribbean, served two three-year terms as the RTPark’s CEO and executive director from September 5, 2018 to August 31, 2024. The RTPark’s board of directors voted not to extend Chapman’s contract after it expired.
After leaving the RTPark, Chapman filed a whistleblower complaint in District Court on November 26, 2024, alleging the board and its former chair, Edward Thomas Sr., consistently sought funding for UVI by illegal and unethical means that were often to the detriment of the RTPark. Thomas subsequently resigned from the RTPark board effective March 31 after serving as a member since 2011. Ian Tomlinson replaced him as board chair.
Chapman claimed his employment contract was not renewed after he pointed out the illegality and conflicts of interest raised by the RTPark’s actions. He alleged wrongful termination for challenging the board’s violation of Virgin Islands law, including operating despite Thomas’ expired term since 2021 and approving tax benefits for client companies without a legal quorum. He accused Thomas of abusing the authority of the board chairmanship by attempting to secure an RTPark grant for his church.
In addition to filing a whistleblower complaint in federal court, Chapman filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to the board’s failure to renew his contract after disclosing his cancer diagnosis and requesting accommodations.
Chapman subsequently filed a new complaint in District Court against the RTPark as the sole defendant on April 3, alleging discrimination based on disability, failure to provide reasonable accommodations, retaliation, and unlawful termination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act. He alleged the RTPark board, which was still led by Thomas at the time, engaged in discriminatory and retaliatory actions due to his cancer diagnosis, request for accommodations, and filing of a charge of discrimination with the EEOC.
As both cases proceeded in District Court, attorney Scot McChain represented Chapman. Attorney Michelle Meade represented the RTPark board and Thomas. The parties reported to the court that the June 19 mediation, held pursuant to a court order, successfully resolved both the whistleblower and discrimination complaints.
Now that both cases have been resolved, Meade indicated that the parties are finalizing the post-mediation documentation and will soon submit stipulations for dismissal in each case.
An attempt to contact McChain and Meade for comment was unsuccessful, and messages were not returned as of publication time.
