Office of the General Counsel

Portrait of VP for Personnel Services and General Counsel Stacey Luster

Stacey Luster, JD, Vice President of Personnel Services and General Counsel, was appointed the university’s first general counsel in January 2025. In addition to serving as chief legal counsel, the General Counsel is the Vice President for Personnel Services. Ms. Luster is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

  • Provides legal advice and representation to the University President, officers, faculty, and staff, all in their official capacities, on various issues affecting the University*
  • Oversees Human Resources, Payroll, Title IX
  • Coordinates litigation with the Office of the Attorney General and/or external counsel, as appropriate. 

Areas of Legal Practice:

  • Employment Law
  • Education Law
  • Labor Law
  • Discrimination Law
  • Contracts
  • Torts

Additional Areas of Expertise:

  • Equal Employment and Equal Educational Opportunity
  • Complaints and Investigations
  • Equity Assessments and Planning
  • Community Organizing and Development
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Professional Development
  • Public Policy
  • Strategic Planning

The General Counsel does not provide legal advice to individual employees or student organizations.

Resources

In accordance with guidance from the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Fitchburg State University will implement the following protocols before providing access to sensitive areas and/or information when contacted by federal agents:

  1. Determine the purpose of their visit to campus.
    • Immigration officers may engage in routine regulatory VISA enforcement site visits to campuses
    • If not a routine visit, proceed to following steps
  2. Ask for their name, identification number, and the name of the agency with which they are affiliated.
  3. Request a copy of any judicial warrant or court order they have. 
  4. Inform them that you are not attempting to obstruct his or her actions, but you are not authorized to respond to the request and need to contact the Office of the General Counsel before you can provide access/information. 
  5. Request that they wait in an area generally open to the public while you contact the Office of the General Counsel.

Questions? Get in touch.