Current:Home > StocksTennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board -AssetLink
Tennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board
View
Date:2025-04-13 13:19:46
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Trustees of Tennessee’s only publicly funded historically Black university were removed Thursday under legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Black lawmakers and community leaders said state leaders, a majority of whom are white, are unfairly targeting Tennessee State University.
The legislation cleared the state House Thursday in a 66-25 vote by the GOP-controlled chamber. Lee signed off a few hours later without comment.
Under the statute, the 10-member university board is immediately disbanded and Lee is tasked with appointing new members subject to confirmation by the Legislature. TSU is already seeking a new leader because President Glenda Glover plans to retire at the end of this school year.
“All we’re talking about is the board ... It’s vacating some personalities and bringing others in,” House Majority Leader William Lamberth told reporters. “The goal is to make TSU successful.”
Republican leaders have long grumbled about TSU’s leadership as multiple state audits have found student housing shortages, unsustainable scholarship increases and lingering financial discrepancies. Audits released Thursday morning ahead of the House vote found 56 “significant procedural deficiencies” ranging from the school failing to follow its own procedures, to not properly documenting transactions or identifying improvements to its budgeting procedures.
However, one review stated that it “did not identify evidence indicative of fraud or malfeasance by executive leadership.”
Democrats and others say Republicans are focusing on the wrong issues, pointing out that TSU’s problems are largely due to its being underfunded by an estimated $2.1 billion over the last three decades. They also allege that the majority-white Legislature distrusts a Black-controlled university’s ability to manage itself.
Rep. Bo Mitchell, a Democrat whose district includes TSU, also questioned removing the board of a historically Black college that the state has failed to adequately fund. “I’ve seen many audits of many universities that look horrendous,” Mitchell said. “Have we ever, ever vacated an entire board of a university before? Have we ever done that?”
Multiple Democrats filed last minute motions and amendments that would have delayed the vote or cut the number of board seats to be vacated to five rather than 10. Ultimately, the GOP supermajority voted down each of the proposals
“Instead of us rectifying the problems that we created through racist policies by underfunding Tennessee State University, we’re now advocating to vacate their board,” said Rep. Justin Pearson, a Democrat from Memphis, raising his voice as he criticized his Republican colleagues.
Last year, the Tennessee Legislature provided TSU with a lump sum of $250 million for infrastructure projects to help fix a portion of the shortfall.
Republican Rep. Ryan Williams said that money was “completely blown through” after officials gave too many student scholarships, so many that students were placed in hotels because there wasn’t enough housing. Other universities, including University of Tennessee in Knoxville, have also been required to house some students temporarily in hotels without the same criticism from state lawmakers.
“The challenges are dire,” Williams said. “But we have to have assurances that future investment, or that remedy to this problem, is going to be well taken care of.”
TSU supporters and students watched from the galleries Thursday and cheered at times when Democrats criticized the bill. Some booed Republicans once the legislation cleared, while others lamented at the Legislature’s punishing response to the university’s challenges.
“We have people who realize it takes a bridge sometimes to get where you’re trying to go,” Barry Barlow, a pastor and TSU grad said during a news conference after the vote. “But we have people in the Tennessee General Assembly who will take your bridge of promise and stick dynamite to it.”
___
Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise contributed to this report.
veryGood! (43)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Microsoft hires Sam Altman 3 days after OpenAI fired him as CEO
- Hezbollah fires rockets at north Israel after an airstrike kills 5 of the group’s senior fighters
- Rising 401(k) limits in 2024 spells good news for retirement savers
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Lawsuit blaming Tesla’s Autopilot for driver’s death can go to trial, judge rules
- Barclay Briggs, backup FCS lineman, finds following with hilarious NFL draft declaration
- Argentina’s President-elect is racing against the clock to remake the government
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Venice rolls out day-tripper fee to try to regulate mass crowds on peak weekends
Ranking
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed, with markets in Japan and US closed for holidays
- Gaza has become a moonscape in war. When the battles stop, many fear it will remain uninhabitable
- Man won $50 million from Canadian Lottery game and decided to go back to work next day
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- First Lady Rosalynn Carter's legacy on mental health boils down to one word: Hope
- Christian school that objected to transgender athlete sues Vermont after it’s banned from competing
- D-backs acquire 3B Eugenio Suárez from Mariners in exchange for two players
Recommendation
Breaking debut in Olympics raises question: Are breakers artists or athletes?
Too many added sugars in your diet can be dangerous. This should be your daily limit.
Nicaragua’s Miss Universe title win exposes deep political divide in the Central American country
Brazilian police bust international drug mule ring in Sao Paulo
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
Deion Sanders says Warren Sapp to join coaching staff in 2024; Colorado has not confirmed
German police raid homes of 20 alleged supporters of far-right Reich Citizens scene
Republic of Congo marks a day of mourning for 31 dead in a stadium stampede