Dr. Brian L. Johnson, the new president at Tuskegee University is at the center of a storm brewing on the East Alabama campus, that once reveled itself as the “pride of the swift growing South.”
Johnson’s tenure got off to a rocky start when many in the alumni community questioned his lack of senior executive experience at the postsecondary level.
Shortly after arriving on campus, Johnson quickly alienated the Mayor and City Council of Tuskegee and the Macon County Commission. In quick succession he followed that up with banning Rev. Harold Lusk, Sr., Pastor of the Greenwood Baptist Church, from coming onto the campus. After media attention, the Board of Trustees Chair, Charles Williams, instructed him to lift the ban. Months later, Lusk is still awaiting an apology from Johnson over the banning.
Johnson, an avid social media commentator, picked arguments with alumni on social media and blocks those who do not chime in 100 percent with his views. Further dwindling the pool of alumni givers.
He refused to meet with a grieving mother who was seeking an update on a pledge made by the his predecessor, Dr. Gilbert Rochon. Board Chair Williams again instructed him to apologize to this parent. He called and apologized.
While these firestorms were brewing, Johnson’s saving grace was a perceived high approval rating from the student community. He stopped students on campus and took selfies with them which he later displayed across the full spectrum of his social media platform. He attended student hosted block parties and posed for pictures hugging the coeds. Also, he appeared at pep rallies and jumped up and down like a college crab along side the cheerleaders.
When students attempted to engage Johnson in a discussion over issues related to campus life he became evasive, hostile and demeaning in his response.
Last week students organized a protest against Johnson while the Board of Trustees was on campus conducting their annual meeting. The media was banned from coming onto campus to cover the protest.
Additionally, students are banned by the Student Code of Conduct from reaching out to the news media or to exercise their constitutional right of free speech, if that expression sheds Tuskegee in an unfavorable light. A violation of this code section could subject students to expulsion from the university.
A student representative did meet with the Board of Trustees and presented them with a list of 11 grievances. At the top on the list: “Dr. Johnson has created a hostile environment for students by invading their personal spaces and by imposing personal views about student living and/or lifestyle habits.”
The students accused Johnson of failing to engage in fundraising activities and resorting to strong-arm tactics to “solicit money from students, faculty, and staff for the general fund.” Johnson’s long-term strategic plan does not call for him to engage in a major fundraising campaign until the third year of his contract.
Also, the students grievance list states, “Dr. Johnson makes statements that make students, faculty, and staff feel incompetent.” Furthermore, the list alleges that “Dr. Johnson engages in intimidation tactics to silence the current Student Government Association.” They called out faculty members for being social media informants.”
Without specifying which alumni chapters, the students contend, “A number of alumni chapters have threatened to withdraw their financial support, if Dr. Johnson continues to serve as president of Tuskegee University.”
During the weekend protest, the students demanded that the Board of Trustees fire Dr. Johnson. The Board did not fire him.
This week the students are circulating a petition calling on Johnson to step down by the close of business on Monday of this week.
The once “pride of the swift growing South” is now embroiled in an ugly fight with students, the lifeblood of any educational institution.
Harold Michael Harvey, is the author of the legal thriller “Paper Puzzle,” and “Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System,” available at Amazon and at haroldmichaelharvey.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]
Should we (alumni) not also be asking for the resignation of the Chairman of the Board>? Let us not put a band aid on the problem, allow it to fester and then say all is well!
This problem is much deeper than an immature, social skills lacking, inadequate, poor performing and inept president. Who lead the search community to this individual? The chairman of the board!
This young man’s entire life philosophy (Dubois) contradicts and if polar opposite of the University’s founder, Dr. B.T. Washington.
Let us not get caught up on the number of presidents the University has, but more passionate in our search for the best Chairman of the Board of Trustees, better Trustees and the appropriate leader as President of Tuskegee University.
Merci’
Alumnae Kit
Good idea, Kit. More to come on the Chair tomorrow.
Truly a sad situation for such a fine and respected institution.
Yes it is. I hope the Board comes up out of their stupor soon.
Dear Mr. Harvey,
I know you were told that Mr. Johnson apoligozed to me, but her did not.
I will send you the complete copy of the correspondence back and forth between him and I.
I agree that the president need to go including the chair of the board. As a chair of an organization to allow the behavior of a NEW president to show his REAL SELF from the beginning and give him s slap is unexceptable!!!!
I met with the president in December and what a meeting it was. He was so rude and just kept stating that he didn’t know
I had no legal fight against the school.
I was so upset I just commence to laughing like a crazy women that he couldn’t apologize without an excuse.
He kept saying he didn’t know about BJ! I tell strangers I am sorry for a death so what I am saying he never apologize.
I would be happy to share with you all the back and forth correspondence between the president and I .
I spoke with a board member and said to him that they had a Bull in a China Shop as president and he would do something else that would make the university look bad.
The president even told me that the school couldn’t afford an ambulance for our children. My friend asked the president what do the school do when someone needs an ambulance. The attorney took over and said we put the kids in a shuttle and take them to the hospital. My friend then asked if the shuttle had equipment to stabilize someone if needed, The answer was No!
We were levit of course by both answers. However when the Tuskegee’s.
attorney said that We, meaning Tuskegee University wasn’t responsible for my son’s death, I wanted to go across that table and give her a “1959 Ass Kicking”. Who says that after all that have taken place.
With that said, Tuskegee had some real problem. Right now it’s getting worst because of Dr. Johnson and we know that bad management make for a bad environment.
In the meeting with the president there were also several comments about Dr. Rochon, past president. I replied by saying you can’t tell me anything negative about Dr. Rochon.
Dr. Rochon made my husband and I feel that BJ’s life mattered and Tuskegee cared and so did the interim presidents.
Mr. Chair, you need to first grow some balls and release that Dictator from his contract while the walls are still leaning. Remember Jericho
Mrs. Smith, I saw your comment shortly after you wrote it. I was floored and unable to comment until now. As an alumni of Tuskegee, I apologize to you and your family for the treatment you received from Dr. Johnson. Please forgive him because he does not know any better. Also, last year when the issue of his insulting comments to you came up, many members of the Tuskegee family said some cruel things about you and your motivations for asking him for a meeting. Again, I apologize to you and your family, because they too are guided by blind loyalty and do not know any better. It is appalling to learn that your son died of his wounds because there is no hospital in Tuskegee and there is not any emergency equipment in the shuttle the university uses to transport patients to Auburn or Opelika for medical treatment. It appears to me that BJ would not have bleed out if there had been a medical facility in Tuskegee or if the university had some medical equipment onboard the shuttle it uses to take emergency patients to the hospital in Auburn or Opelika. My wife and I are simply shaken by your words this morning. I could not in good conscience recommend any parent send their children to Tuskegee University until they have ample heath care facilities to provide the medical attention the student community needs. Our hearts goes out to you. God bless.
FYI. It is my understanding that Tuskegee residents have an ambulance service that can be use for transporting patients to area emergency rooms. I personally have used this service on two occasions to transport me to the ER in Montgomery . They usually transport to the nearest medical facility in an emergency (from Tuskegee, Tallassee is the nearest hospital), but if the emergency is not life-threatening, one can request to be transported to hospitals in Opelika or Montgomery. The ambulance will also come to check your vital signs at no cost, if requested. I have also used this service to have my blood pressure and blood sugar checked when I was not feeling well. While the situation leaves much to be desired, but the city is not completely without resources in a medical emergency.
Thank you for this clarification.
Mrs. Smith, I would also like to offer my sincere apologies – both for the loss of your son and for the rude and uncalled for behavior of our current president. One would think that as a father of two sons himself, he would know better.
I was in the chapel for your son’s memorial service and I can assure you that his death affected me and just about everyone else I know in this town very deeply. Although Dr. Rochon’s announcement about the scholarship in BJ’s name won’t bring him back, it was a nice gesture. Unfortunately, it appears that ‘nice’ is somewhat foreign to the person we’re dealing with now. And for some reason, our new president seems to be anti-scholarship in general. I guess he’s planning to waive some kind of magic wand to increase our enrollment with 4.0 students who will come with their own money.
I agree with you (and others) that both he and the general need to go. The general needs to be first though – otherwise who knows who he might try to bring in here next.
Also, thank you for correcting our impression that he had finally done the right thing by you and your family. Unbelievable!
Thanks for all the descent replies by all.
However to Ms. Wallace we need to stay informed. My son was 2 minutes from the campus at a party. He was shot in the back of the heart, so an ambulance probably wouldn’t have saved him anyways.
God needed BJ! Out of 200 kids running from a sound of a gun his life was taken.
Can’t give you all the shock factor because we have to get to court first.
However with that said, Mr Garvey you’re correct. The Ambulance’s home is Aurbun /Opelika that’s to far away for our children.
I can tell you in the last 5 years 3
kids have died due to 911 not picking-up or the ambulance was busy with the Arburn kids
Mrs. Smith, there is definitely a need for a medical care facility in Tuskegee. I hope the university and the local government authorities can get a handle on this problem and fix it before the next tragic event.