By Holli L. Rapp
LaSalle County Circuit Court Judge Lewis James Perona has struck the charges in the lawsuit against IVCC and nursing instructor Bonnie Beardsley.
Former nursing student Alicia Dunn, who is suing for breach of contract and defamation of character, has 21 days from the date of the ruling to file an amended complaint. The college and Beardsley then have 21 days to file their response.
Perona issued his ruling on Oct. 1 after hearing a request to dismiss the suit from the college attorney on Sept. 18.
Beardsley and the college were named in a multi-count lawsuit filed by the Peru woman who did not complete the nursing program.
For a story published in the Sept. 17 issue of the Apache, Fran Brolley, public information director, said, "We have conducted an investigation (of Dunn's charges), and do not believe there is any validity to the allegations."
The investigation was conducted by Bonnie Grusk, chair of the division of health professions, and Dr. Harriet Custer, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
In July, Beardsley and the college were named in a multi-count defamation lawsuit filed by a Peru woman who did not complete the nursing program.
Dunn is seeking more than $200,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages.
Oct. 8, 1998 the Apache