For years now, Wright State University has been involved in a legal battle with an old research wing. On Nov. 14, 2025, the Board of Trustees met in a special public session to discuss the litigation and potential settlement.
The lawsuit history
Wright State University and Parallax Advanced Research, formerly the Wright State Applied Research Corporation (WSARC), remain in an ongoing legal dispute. WSARC separated from the university and later rebranded as Parallax in 2020.
In October 2020, Wright State sued WSARC in Greene County Common Pleas Court, alleging that WSARC refused to return state-funded property, money and research assets after the separation.
At the time, the university said the corporation’s plan to separate without returning state-funded assets violated WSU’s rights.
“The university intends to vigorously advocate for and protect the interests of the university, its research partners and taxpayers,” a statement from the WSU Office of General Counsel said at the time the civil lawsuit was filed.
The Auditor of State later reviewed WSARC’s use of state workforce-development funds after a 2019 referral from the Ohio Inspector General. The audit examined WSARC’s disbursement of state workforce-development funds for fiscal years 2012-17 and found that those payments complied with the Ohio Constitution and the statutory requirements tied to those appropriations in the state budget acts.
Auditor Keith Faber wrote that the review examined whether WSARC disbursed the workforce-development funds in line with constitutional limits and the statutory conditions attached to the money.
Parallax then filed countersuit, stating that WSU interfered with its business and that the university owes it money. The case is scheduled for a jury trial in January 2026 in the Ohio Court of Claims.
The meeting
On Nov. 14, 2025, WSU’s Board of Trustees held a special public session to discuss the matter.
While the meeting was public, most of the business was conducted through executive session. In the meeting, the possibility of settlement was discussed.
According to the Board of Trustees' resolution, since these talks may happen in between board meetings, the Chair of the Board will be the one to facilitate negotiations along with legal counsel.
“The Board of Trustees hereby delegates settlement authority to the Chair of the Board to represent the University in any potential settlement discussions or negotiations arising from this or related matters, to communicate directly to relevant parties and to determine and represent the University’s position within such discussions,” the resolution said.
Updates are developing as the trial continues.
