COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The president of a historically Black Missouri university has been reinstated after an independent investigation cleared him of claims that he bullied another top administrator before she killed herself this year, university leaders announced Thursday.
Lincoln University curators called Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey’s January death tragic in an open letter to students and alumni. They said an investigation by law firm Lewis Rice found no evidence that President John Moseley bullied her.
A spokesperson said curators voted 7-1 to reinstate Moseley, who was on paid leave pending the results of the investigation.
“For us, this report is not the end of a process, but rather the beginning of one,” Board of Curators President Victor Pasley said in a statement. “None of its findings have led the Board to doubt President Moseley’s ability to lead the University, but this tragedy has forced us to grapple more fully with issues facing Lincoln and our individual students and employees – ranging from mental health support to employee work and relationships.”
In a statement, Moseley said he’s grateful for the board’s vote of confidence in him and that he’s looking forward to returning to work at the mid-Missouri school.
Many of the school’s 1,800 students and its alumni group called for Moseley’s termination following Candia-Bailey’s death. A string of #firemoseley social media posts questioned his qualifications, his treatment of the Black administrator and whether it was appropriate for a white man who had been serving as the school’s athletic director and basketball coach to lead a historically Black college.
Monica Graham, a Lincoln graduate and longtime friend of Candia-Bailey, said Thursday she’s “disgusted” and “sick to her stomach” about the results of the investigation, which she said are biased because the law firm was paid and hired by the university. She wants the…
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