HBCU President Reinstated After Cleared Of Bullying Inquiry

The president of Lincoln University, an HBCU in Jefferson City, Missouri, has been reinstated after being cleared from bullying claims surrounding an administrator’s suicide.

The independent investigation into John Moseley followed the Jan. 8 suicide of Lincoln’s administrator Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey. The Guardian reports the inquiry found no substantial evidence that Moseley bullied Candia-Bailey, who killed herself in January, sending shockwaves throughout the campus.

The university’s curators penned an open letter to the school’s community about the results. Moseley was on paid leave as the investigation played out.

“For us, this report is not the end of a process, but rather the beginning of one,” explained the board of curators president, Victor Pasley. “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.”

The curators voted 7-1 to reinstate Moseley as president. Responding to the news, the educational leader expressed his gratitude over the board’s support.

In the wake of Candia-Bailey’s death, a social media campaign of #FireMoseley emerged to remove Moseley as president. Critics called Mosley’s fitness to run a historically Black institution as a white man into question. He was also under fire for his treatment of the distressed employee.

Candia-Bailey’s friend, Monica Graham, urged that the former administrator killed herself following her termination as vice president of student affairs. In an email regarding Moseley’s treatment of her, Candia-Bailey detailed his harassment and alluding to her being an “angry Black woman.”

Despite the cleared allegations, the curators did note that working under Moseley’s leadership has been tense for employees. They intend to work with the president to remedy these issues. The school also created a committee to improve employee and student wellness programs.

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