SooToday obtained a copy of David Orazietti's contract from Sault College through a freedom of information request to determine what the retired president will receive as a final payout — and it definitely isn't chump change.
According to the contract, Orazietti is entitled to 16 months pay after he left the college earlier this year, meaning he will receive around $400,000.
A university professor who reviewed the contract said the payout could be between $375,000 and $400,000.
Gilles LeVasseur, a professor of business and law at the University of Ottawa, said the final amount will depend on what was agreed upon when Orazietti discussed his retirement with the board.
"I would be more inclined to tell you he's probably getting $375," LeVasseur said.
"That's the reading I have of the case based on the information that I have," he told SooToday.
Signed in 2023, the contract said Orazietti would receive a base salary of $259,900 and a potential performance bonus of $25,000, although the base salary did go up after the contract was signed.
In 2023, the College Employer Council completed a review on executive compensation in response to the longstanding salary freeze for college executives since 2010, Sault College said via email.
As a result, Sault College, along with most other Ontario colleges, adjusted the salary cap and pay-for-performance envelope for its designated executives, president included, by up to 15 per cent to reflect increased scope and responsibility, in accordance with legislative requirements and sector standards.
“This adjustment aligned compensation practices at Sault College with those at other Ontario post-secondary institutions, ensuring fairness and competitiveness while remaining compliant with government guidelines,” the college said.
Sault College is a publicly funded institution that receives taxpayer dollars to run its operations and deliver programs. As such, the salaries of senior executives are a matter of public record.
Last year Orazietti earned $328,696, according to the province's Sunshine List.
This includes his new base salary of around $300,000 plus the $25,000 the college says was awarded "based strictly on the annual review of the president’s achievement of established goals and objectives related to his presidential duties.”
In October, the college sent an internal memo on behalf of board chair Tom Katagis to announce that Orazietti “made a personal choice to retire."
The announcement came on the heels of an investigation into Orazietti’s conduct.
In January, Sault College's board of governors began an investigation into Orazietti’s conduct after an employee launched a complaint alleging his behaviour violated the school’s harassment and discrimination policy.
SooToday learned the complaint, which was not sexual in nature, was filed to the board chair by a female administrative employee on Jan. 13.
That’s when an investigation was started by a third party at the request of Don Mitchell, the board’s former chair.
In late April, Mitchell and Orazietti sat down for an interview with SooToday after a board meeting to discuss the investigation.
Six months later, in October, Katagis said the investigation ended with Orazietti’s retirement.
Because Orazietti retired without giving six-months notice, the contract states the college will provide him with a termination payout of 12-months salary plus two months for each completed year of service, which is where the 16 months pay comes from, LeVasseur said.
In the case of a termination, Orazietti would have received the same amount, the contract said.