WPI settles lawsuit with late donor's ex-wife over $4.5M

Photo/Grant Welker The Foisie Innovation Studio opened in September 2018.

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Janet Foisie, ex-wife of the late Worcester Polytechnic Institute donor and alum Robert Foisie, has reached an agreement to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit related to a $4.5-million donation her husband made to the school after the couple’s 2011 divorce, federal court documents show.

The two parties had been tusseling in court over allegations Robert used money he allegedly hid during divorce proceedings to make hefty donations to the school between the divorce and his death in 2018, including the $4.5 million.

A stipulation of voluntary dismissal, filed on May 20, appears to bring the disagreement to a close. Details about the agreement were not delineated in the documents, although both parties agreed to pay for their own attorneys’ fees and costs and to waive rights of appeal.

WPI declined to elaborate on the settlement further.

"The only thing I can provide is that WPI is pleased to have resolved this matter amicably," WPI spokeswoman Colleen Womback said.

The case was bounced back to U.S. District Court last July after an appellate judge decided Foisie should be allowed to continue pursuing legal options to recoup the $4.5 million, which was allegedly hidden in offshore assets and promissory notes. Robert reportedly acknowledged he didn’t report the assets as part of a discovery response related to Foisie’s accusations, according to case background included in last July’s decision.

After their divorce, Robert donated nearly $39 million to the school. He is understood to be the school’s largest donor. Both its Foisie Business School and Foisie Innovation Studio are named after him. He died in June 2018.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette first reported the news of the settlement.