Questions swirl as Texas Southern University president placed on leave


The Houston Forward Times did a great job explaining how the malfeasance of our unqualified board is at fault.

as the controversial and shocking decision by the Texas Southern University (TSU) Board of Regents to place current TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane on administrative leave with pay a justifiable move or is there seriously something more nefarious behind the recent actions of the majority of the TSU Board of Regents that need further explanation?

Many in the community found themselves scratching their heads in disbelief this past Friday, January 10th, after news that the TSU Board of Regents had made the decision to place Dr. Lane on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation by the audit committee. A video of the meeting, which was held at the Houstonian Hotel, shows the audit committee make the recommendation. TSU Board Chair, Hasan K. Mack, then called for a motion and a second, but not before Regent Derrick Mitchell expressed his disappointment with the surprise decision before the official vote was cast. Per the video, it appears Regent Mitchell was the lone vote against the move, while it was noted that Regent Ron J. Price abstained from the vote.

The Board made the decision without providing any facts, justification or details about what Dr. Lane could have possibly done to justify being temporarily stripped of his power as president, while an investigation, that has allegedly been going on for several months, continues.

Again, no facts or details have been given by the Board, but they did release a statement, saying:

“The Board is committed to ensuring all activities at the University are conducted in an ethical and transparent manner in accordance with the University’s mission, vision and values. The University will have no further comment at this time.”

forwardtimes.com

Administrative Leave or Something Else? Is This About Dr. Austin Lane or Will This Uncover Something Deeper and More Sinister?

Was the controversial and shocking decision by the Texas Southern University (TSU) Board of Regents…
forwardtimes.com forwardtimes.com
 
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LAW DAWG said:
I don't pay for them either, but I can get them somehow. The Chronicle pulls the same mess all major daily papers do with HBCUs. All of them are quick to print the negative, slow or rarely the positive.
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You do realize that media is designed to cover bad news, right?
 
The below information will get Regent Terrell removed. Anyone in corporate America should know that you can't fire someone who is filing grievances against you and/or your organization. This is part of annual corporate harassment training at most companies.

"What is disturbing about this is, according to sources, is that Williams had filed two grievances for harassment against TSU Regent Wesley G. Terrell. These grievances were allegedly sent to the Board Chair, Board Counsel, the internal auditor, and directly to Regent Terrell. The internal auditor allegedly sent Williams a letter on January 7th informing him that he would be given a response to his complaint. However, instead of receiving that response, Williams was fired on January 10th, only three days after receiving the letter from the internal auditor.

This could pose huge issues for the University, if somehow it is proven through a court of law that Williams was fired due to retaliation and before having his grievances addressed."
 
pantherprowl said:
The below information will get Regent Terrell removed. Anyone in corporate America should know that you can't fire someone who is filing grievances against you and/or your organization. This is part of annual corporate harassment training at most companies.

"What is disturbing about this is, according to sources, is that Williams had filed two grievances for harassment against TSU Regent Wesley G. Terrell. These grievances were allegedly sent to the Board Chair, Board Counsel, the internal auditor, and directly to Regent Terrell. The internal auditor allegedly sent Williams a letter on January 7th informing him that he would be given a response to his complaint. However, instead of receiving that response, Williams was fired on January 10th, only three days after receiving the letter from the internal auditor.

This could pose huge issues for the University, if somehow it is proven through a court of law that Williams was fired due to retaliation and before having his grievances addressed."
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Possibly an EEOC filing on the horizon for hostile work enviroment.
 
Texas Southern regents to talk about firing president they put on leave without explanation​

Amid an investigation that found Texas Southern University didn’t consistently apply its admissions policy, the board of regents has a scheduled a special meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the termination of school President Austin Lane.

The planned discussion, disclosed on the meeting agenda as “notice of termination of the university president,” marks the first time TSU’s board has acknowledged Lane’s firing is a possibility since it announced on Jan. 10 that he had been placed on paid administrative leave.​
www.houstonchronicle.com

TSU regents call meeting to discuss President Austin Lane’s termination

Texas Southern University’s board of regents have scheduled a special meeting for...
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
 
At this moment, our regents appear to be the problem more than anything else. If the state completed an internal audit and investigation and found nothing wrong there just isn't much of a reason to backdoor with your own internal audit and investigation. It appears now, that in order to save face over the way they have handled this entire scenario of events, they are trying to find an easy out since Lane has been on leave for nearly a month. I get it, it becomes hard as hell trying to justify putting a state employee on paid leave that makes around $33,000 a month with little to mynute details as to why. So far, it is somewhat obvious much of this has little if anything to do with Lane but instead something that hasn't hit the light of day yet. According to story the internal investigation will be complete later this month, so why the rush to fire him now, unless they fear the internal investigation will confirm the findings of the state investigation and leave them looking like the clowns they are portraying so well.



A letter previously obtained by the Houston Chronicle shows that a state agency recently concluded yet another investigation of TSU’s admissions process and found no problems. The investigation, prompted by a complaint, was closed in July 2019.
“The complainant alleged that Texas Southern University tried to increase enrollment by encouraging staff to admit all students, irrespective of whether the student met the university's admission requirements,” wrote Mark Poehl, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s director of internal audit and compliance. “We worked with (the TSU) office of internal audit and assurance. Their confidential report found no wrongdoing regarding the university's admission practices during the fall 2017 and fall 2018 semesters.”
www.houstonchronicle.com

TSU regents call meeting to discuss President Austin Lane’s termination

Texas Southern University’s board of regents have scheduled a special meeting for...
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
 
This is very disturbing ... most of the TSU community supports Dr. Lane and yet they do this. We do not feel the punishment fits the crime at all.
 
LAW DAWG said:
At this moment, our regents appear to be the problem more than anything else. If the state completed an internal audit and investigation and found nothing wrong there just isn't much of a reason to backdoor with your own internal audit and investigation. It appears now, that in order to save face over the way they have handled this entire scenario of events, they are trying to find an easy out since Lane has been on leave for nearly a month. I get it, it becomes hard as hell trying to justify putting a state employee on paid leave that makes around $33,000 a month with little to mynute details as to why. So far, it is somewhat obvious much of this has little if anything to do with Lane but instead something that hasn't hit the light of day yet. According to story the internal investigation will be complete later this month, so why the rush to fire him now, unless they fear the internal investigation will confirm the findings of the state investigation and leave them looking like the clowns they are portraying so well.



A letter previously obtained by the Houston Chronicle shows that a state agency recently concluded yet another investigation of TSU’s admissions process and found no problems. The investigation, prompted by a complaint, was closed in July 2019.
“The complainant alleged that Texas Southern University tried to increase enrollment by encouraging staff to admit all students, irrespective of whether the student met the university's admission requirements,” wrote Mark Poehl, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s director of internal audit and compliance. “We worked with (the TSU) office of internal audit and assurance. Their confidential report found no wrongdoing regarding the university's admission practices during the fall 2017 and fall 2018 semesters.”
www.houstonchronicle.com

TSU regents call meeting to discuss President Austin Lane’s termination

Texas Southern University’s board of regents have scheduled a special meeting for...
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
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The board isn't qualified to govern OUR university and now they created a hostile relationship with the community they serve. We are not stupid and can see their judgment is flawed and they don't have the best interest of TSU at heart .... they are the stupid ones and we will fight them every step of the way until they resign.
 
LAW DAWG said:
A letter previously obtained by the Houston Chronicle shows that a state agency recently concluded yet another investigation of TSU’s admissions process and found no problems. The investigation, prompted by a complaint, was closed in July 2019.
“The complainant alleged that Texas Southern University tried to increase enrollment by encouraging staff to admit all students, irrespective of whether the student met the university's admission requirements,” wrote Mark Poehl, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s director of internal audit and compliance. “We worked with (the TSU) office of internal audit and assurance. Their confidential report found no wrongdoing regarding the university's admission practices during the fall 2017 and fall 2018 semesters.”
www.houstonchronicle.com

TSU regents call meeting to discuss President Austin Lane’s termination

Texas Southern University’s board of regents have scheduled a special meeting for...
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
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In watching the Board meeting last night it seems the admissions issue was in regards to Law School admissions and someone allegedly paying to get admitted. The letter seems to be about undergrad.
 
He will probably appeal, but lose...He has accomplishments that can land him at another HBCU quickly
 
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JAGSC said:
He will probably appeal, but lose...He has accomplishments that can land him at another HBCU quickly
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Spot on, he'll land back on his feet.

What are these regents up to with my Texas Southern is what alarms me. I don't know if you saw or read it, but that eight page rebuttal by Lane has some troubling things in it in regards to our current board's actions.
 
LAW DAWG said:
Spot on, he'll land back on his feet.

What are these regents up to with my Texas Southern is what alarms me. I don't know if you saw or read it, but that eight page rebuttal by Lane has some troubling things in it in regards to our current board's actions.
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I believe they are wanting TSU to be apart of someones system and they want a president who follows their plan.
 
tsuball10 said:
I believe they are wanting TSU to be apart of someones system and they want a president who follows their plan.
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What has me concerned is that five of our regents have been on the board less than a year; a total of six of them were appointed last year. That is a short amount of time to create the upheaval they have undertaken. I believe something is brewing, but what that is I don't know yet.

All presidents serve at the pleasure of either boards of regents or trustees. With that said, their visions clash at times and instead of working together for the benefit of the institution often times egos take center stage and dysfunction swiftly follows.
 
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defendernetwork.com

TSU alumni mobilize for Lane, next stop Gov. Abbott

Texas Southern University alumni aren’t sitting back and accepting the Board of Regents’ decision to fire TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane. In fact, they’re organizing and planning to take their concerns to the governor’s office. Texas Governor Greg Abbott may soon have a petition of thousands...
defendernetwork.com defendernetwork.com
 
Fiyah said:
defendernetwork.com

TSU alumni mobilize for Lane, next stop Gov. Abbott

Texas Southern University alumni aren’t sitting back and accepting the Board of Regents’ decision to fire TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane. In fact, they’re organizing and planning to take their concerns to the governor’s office. Texas Governor Greg Abbott may soon have a petition of thousands...
defendernetwork.com defendernetwork.com
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Wow!! Thats what i'm talking about.
 
TSU/BAMA said:
Wow!! Thats what i'm talking about.
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I hope they have more success than some of us did twenty years ago when we were trying to get James Douglass reinstated. At that time the regents admitted they fired him without cause.

They, those involved and engaged, are taking many of the same steps we took to avoid what some of us saw as a disaster on the horizon with Slade and the regents at that time. Hopefully, they can get the state senator for the district our TSU resides in to support them. The senator at the time we traveled to Austin told a group of us right to our face he was not pushing the envelope for us. His reason was that he didn't want to spend too much political capital on the cause.

The problem is by state constitution the governor of Texas really doesn't have that much power. Signing or vetoing legislation, calling the legislature into special session and appointing boards and commissions sums it up. Since the office of governor is technically a weak office with limited power no governor takes kindly to being told what to do with the little inherent power they have.

Second, Texas governors are hesitant to remove their board and commission appointees because it would be an admission they appointed the wrong personnel for oversight over a state institution.

Last, it shouldn't be forgotten that board and commission appointees are usually of the same party affiliation as the governor and many are said to make at least five figure donations to the appointing governor's campaign coffers.

If those engaged can work through those barriers they might be able to gain some traction, but it will not be easy.
 
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Texas Southern leadership drama ends as regents buy out sidelined President Austin Lane's contract

Texas Southern University regents bought out the contract of sidelined school President Austin Lane Thursday, ending a drama that has roiled the campus the past two months.

At a regularly scheduled meeting, regents voted to part ways with Lane without any claim of wrongdoing on his part, a change from the process they began earlier this month. At that time, citing his failure to act on or inform the board about fraud allegations involving a former law school official, regents called for Lane’s firing for cause.

Lane declined to answer questions about his departure from TSU. But in a written statement, he and his wife, Loren, thanked the school’s faculty, staff student and alumni.

“Our last four years have been the best four years of our lives,” Lane said. “TSU will always be the heart and soul of Houston and will forever have a special place in our hearts,” Lane said.
www.houstonchronicle.com

Texas Southern University approves settlement ending President Austin Lane's contract

Texas Southern University regents approved a settlement ending a contract with school...
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com


Here we go again, and just as I suspected, another group of incompetent regents having to reverse course and admit they fired a president without cause. I wish Dr. Lane and his wife the best. They really worked hard for my TSU and had results to show for it.
 
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