Former Prof Wins Suit Against Texas Tech Program Director

A Texas jury last week ordered H. Scott Norville, the head of Texas Tech University's civil and environmental engineering department, to pay $590,000 for defaming and physically assaulting a former faculty member, The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported. Norville declined to comment on the finding. R. Scott Phelan, the former faculty member, had received positive reviews from the department and had been winning outside grants. But he charged that he was denied tenure in retaliation for reporting to the university that he believed Norville was using university time and equipment for a consulting business -- charges Norville disputed.