Since 1989 Follett Campus Resources had operated the Book Buyback program in the UT Bookstore. In 1998 an audit by UT’s Internal Audit group revealed that over a ten-year period Follett had systematically underpaid for the books its employees purchased from students. The university placed the restitution funds ($380,000) into a special fund and announced that students would decide how it would be spent. Students Brian Benda and Henrique Vissotto led an effort to pursue a class action lawsuit against Follett. The Student Government Association voted to donate $150,000 of the restitution fund to the Senior Gift Project, which was the Joe Johnson/John Ward Pedestrian Mall.