City Councilman Moe Baddourah resigns from job at USC after rocky first year

COLUMBIA, SC After an apparently rocky year working at the University of South Carolina, Columbia City Councilman Moe Baddourah has resigned as a restaurant management instructor and director of the on-campus McCutchen House restaurant.

His resignation Jan. 9 came just days before he was indicted on a charge of second-degree criminal domestic violence Jan. 18, in connection with an incident last year involving his estranged wife.

Baddourah said he resigned because he was not happy with the contract extension he was given, which would expire in February.

“I didn’t think it was fair for anyone, especially the students, for me to start the semester and then no longer be there,” Baddourah told The State newspaper.

University documents provided to The State indicate Baddourah was given a two-month contract extension from December to February essentially as a probationary period to address concerns from Baddourah’s first year working at the university.

In the documents, which include student evaluations and communications among staff members, Baddourah is often criticized for poor teaching and management skills and for not meeting expectations.

Baddourah says those documents were leaked to the media as a result of contentious divorce proceedings between him and his wife, Carrie Rhett Baddourah.

“Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of an unpleasant divorce and custody battle,” Baddourah said in an emailed statement. “As sometimes happens during custody disputes, there have been a series of accusations and negative information disseminated to the media about me.”

Baddourah was hired at USC on a one-year contract beginning in January 2016. A former restaurant owner, Baddourah said at the time of his hiring at USC that he had been “waiting for this opportunity to come for a long time.”

In the documents obtained by The State, numerous evaluations and letters characterized Baddourah as disrespectful, disorganized and a poor teacher and manager.

“Mr. Baddourah is the worst instructor I have ever had my entire life,” one student wrote in an anonymous evaluation survey from the spring 2016 semester. The sentiment was echoed multiple times in comments from other students.

Baddourah did receive positive comments for strengths such as his enthusiasm, humor and knowledge of the subject, and his overall evaluations improved from spring to fall.

“He rocked! Made class so much fun, and was awesome!” one student comment from fall 2016 read.

This story was originally published March 2, 2017 at 3:13 PM with the headline "City Councilman Moe Baddourah resigns from job at USC after rocky first year."