Case Summary
**Case Summary: Desai v. State University Retirement System of Illinois (Docket No. 3087586)**
**Court:** [Specify Court, if known]
**Date:** [Specify Date, if known]
**Judges:** [List Judges, if known]
**Background:**
The case of Desai v. State University Retirement System of Illinois revolves around a dispute concerning the entitlement of the plaintiff, Dr. Desai, to retirement benefits from the State University Retirement System (SURS) of Illinois. The plaintiff, a former employee of the state university system, challenged the decision made by SURS regarding his pension benefits, claiming that he was entitled to a higher amount based on his years of service and contributions.
**Facts:**
- Dr. Desai was employed by the State University for several years and participated in the SURS retirement plan during his tenure.
- Upon his retirement, he received a pension calculation from SURS, which he believed did not accurately reflect his years of service or the contributions he had made to the retirement fund.
- Discontent with the calculation, Dr. Desai filed an appeal with the retirement system, seeking a reassessment of his benefits.
- SURS upheld its original calculation, prompting Dr. Desai to seek judicial review.
**Legal Issues:**
The primary legal issues in this case involved:
1. The accuracy of the pension benefit calculation performed by SURS.
2. Whether Dr. Desai had fulfilled all requirements necessary to receive the claimed retirement benefits.
3. The standard of review applicable to administrative decisions made by SURS.
**Ruling:**
The court upheld the decision of SURS regarding the calculation of Dr. Desai's pension benefits. The ruling indicated that the calculations were consistent with the governing statutes and regulations, and that Dr. Desai had not provided sufficient evidence to overturn SURS' determination.
**Implications:**
This case highlighted the complexities of retirement benefits administration and the difficulties employees may face in dispute resolution with public retirement systems. Furthermore, it affirmed the discretion afforded to administrative agencies in making determinations regarding retirement benefit eligibility and calculations.
**Conclusion:**
Desai v. State University Retirement System of Illinois serves as a significant example of the judicial review process in administrative decisions related to public employee pensions, emphasizing the importance of compliance with both procedural and substantive statutory requirements in retirement benefit claims.