ST. CROIX — Edward Thomas confirmed with WTJX two weeks ago his resignation from the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park board, where he most recently served as chair after his initial appointment to the board in 2011.
Thomas’ resignation came amid a whistleblower lawsuit filed against him and the RTPark by the quasi-governmental corporation’s former executive director, Peter Chapman, alleging wrongful termination and board decisions in violation of the law that created the RTPark.
Thomas, in a March 31 email message to his RTPark colleagues, wrote that he wanted to send out a short note as he took his leave from UVI and its associated programs.
“I chose this date because thirty-two (32) years ago, on March 31, 1993 Governor Alexander Farrelly signed into law as Act 5826 the enabling legislation that allowed for the acquisition of the West Indian Company Ltd for the people of the Virgin Islands,” Thomas wrote. “I chaired the successful negotiation team and considered it to be a defining moment of my career as a public servant.”
In 1994, he started his 17-year career as WICO president, CEO, and board chair.
Now that Thomas is no longer serving on the RTPark board, another board member has been elected as chair.
Ian Tomlinson, a St. Croix native, was unanimously elected by the RTPark board during a meeting on March 20 to serve as its new chair, effective April 1, the RTPark announced today. Tomlinson, a UVI business graduate with advanced degrees in information technology, co-founded Omni Systems technology company headquartered in Virginia that has local, state, and federal government contracts.
“This opportunity is both an honor and a return to my roots,” Tomlinson said in a statement. “As a proud Virgin Islander and UVI graduate, I’ve long believed in the potential of technology and innovation to empower our people and strengthen our economy. I’m deeply grateful to the board for their confidence, and I look forward to working closely with Executive Director Eric Sonnier and the UVI RTPark team to drive meaningful community impact and advance our vision of the Virgin Islands as a thriving global hub for innovation.”
Tomlinson was not ready to discuss his goals for the RTPark when contacted earlier this week.
“I don’t have any comments yet, only because I have not chaired a meeting yet, so I’d prefer not to say anything before I meet with the board as the chair,” he said.
The RTPark’s next board meeting is scheduled to be held virtually on May 22.
In his email message, Thomas thanked the board for vetting and accepting his recommendation for Sonnier, who replaced Chapman, to be promoted to serve as the RTPark’s executive director. He also thanked Tomlinson for accepting the appointment to be the board’s next chair, noting Tomlinson’s skill set in the fields of technology and innovation are what the RTPark needs as it moves into another iteration of its mandate.
The change in leadership at the RTPark came about after the board voted against renewing Chapman’s contract. He served two three-year terms as the RTPark’s CEO and executive director from September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2024. He filed a whistleblower complaint in District Court on November 26, 2024, alleging the board and chair, Thomas, consistently sought funding for UVI by illegal and unethical means that were often to the detriment of the RTPark. Chapman subsequently filed a first and second amended complaint.
After pointing out the illegality and conflicts of interest raised by the RTPark’s actions, Chapman claims his bonuses were cut and then withheld, and his employment contract was not renewed. He alleges wrongful termination for challenging the board’s violation of Virgin Islands law, including operating despite Thomas’ term being expired 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 a grant from the RTPark 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.
As the whistleblower case proceeds in District Court, attorney Scot McChain represents Chapman, while attorney Michelle Meade represents the RTPark and Thomas. Both attorneys submitted a stipulation on January 27 to stay and extend the deadlines as the case proceeds. The stipulation noted Chapman filed a related claim with the EEOC that the parties are litigating in the administrative process. Therefore, McChain and Meade agreed to stay the whistleblower complaint during the pendency of the related EEOC action. After discussing the motion to stay during a status conference before Magistrate Judge Emile Henderson III on February 24, both attorneys submitted documentation to withdraw their joint motion to stay and extend deadlines.
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, led by Thomas, engaged in discriminatory and retaliatory actions due to his cancer diagnosis, request for accommodations, and filing of a charge of discrimination with the EEOC.
Meade submitted an unopposed motion on Monday for extension of time until April 22 to file a response to Chapman’s second amended complaint, which McChain filed on behalf of his client on March 3. Meade noted that Chapman filed a new complaint alleging the EEOC action previously discussed with the court. She indicated the parties were working toward consolidation and proper response to the combined action. She wrote that her motion for extension of time was to fully address the merits of the second amended complaint and the new complaint. Meade had previously filed a motion to extend the deadline to Monday, but it was only extended to April 11.
On Tuesday, Henderson ordered Meade to appear before him in person at 11 a.m. on April 25 to show cause why sanctions should not be assessed against her or her client for failing to comply with the April 11 deadline to file a response to Chapman’s second amended complaint.
