Statehouse committee to probe Caslen’s hiring

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A legislative committee will review the controversial hiring of new University of South Carolina President Robert Caslen.

The State reports that South Carolina Senate President Harvey Peeler on Monday created a special committee to conduct the review.

Peeler created the panel at the request of state Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Richland Democrat who was critical of Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s involvement in Caslen’s hiring.

USC’s board voted 11-8 to hire Caslen in July despite protests from faculty, some students and politicians.

The newspaper reports that Peeler thinks USC’s board made the right decision to hire Caslen, but has concerns about the process that led to the selection.

Peeler called it a “fact-finding committee.”