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Group pushes for High Point University to reconsider new law school dean

North Carolina Chief Justice Mark Martin delivers the State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C. on March 4, 2015. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

A left leaning political group launched a campaign that aims to get High Point University to reconsider the leader of its new law school.

The university recently announced former North Carolina Chief Justice Mark Martin will be founding dean of the program.

Carolina Forward is behind the large billboard that soars over I-74 in High Point.

It shows a picture of the former Chief Justice and says he “Betrayed Our Constitution.” The group also launched a digital campaign.

It's urging High Point University President Nido Qubein and the university's National Board of Advisors to rescind Mark Martin's appointment as law school dean.

In a press release, Carolina Forward points to various media reports and articles in The New York Times that connect Martin with efforts to support former President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud.

In June, HPU announced that Martin would be the first dean of its law school.

In a statement to WFDD, High Point University highlighted his career accomplishments and said Martin was hired following a search process that included recommendations and reviews from legal professionals, academic deans, and other leaders from both sides of the political spectrum.

"HPU's Board of Trustees and President will always make important decisions like employment status based on merit, but unless legal due process has rendered proof of anything illegal, then decisions cannot be made based merely on hearsay and media reports," says Pam Haynes, assistant vice president for communications at High Point University. "If legal due process renders facts in the future that prove an individual has done something illegal, the university would take appropriate action based on such facts."

Martin made history in his judiciary career by becoming the youngest Court of Appeals judge in North Carolina and youngest person to serve on the state's Supreme Court.

He previously served as dean of Regent University School of Law.

High Point University's law school was announced in March as part of a $400 million academic expansion plan. University officials say the first students are expected to enroll in 2023.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect Donald Trump's status as a former president. 

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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