The white president of traditionally Black college in Missouri positioned on go away amid claims of harassment will preserve his job after an unbiased investigation discovered no proof he bullied a Black administrator who made the allegations towards him earlier than she dedicated suicide in January.
Lincoln College President John Moseley returned to work March 15 after he had been on paid go away since Jan. 12 following the dying of Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey, who had served underneath Moseley because the vice chairman of pupil affairs.
Following the choice to reinstate Moseley, Victor Pasley, the president of the college’s Board of Curators, expressed full help for him, however acknowledged the college’s shortcomings in dealing with worker relations, particularly in relation to psychological well being.
“For us, this report shouldn’t be the tip of a course of, however relatively the start of 1,” Pasley wrote, affirming the conclusions within the report. “None of its findings have led the Board to doubt President Moseley’s skill to guide the College, however this tragedy has compelled us to grapple extra totally with points dealing with Lincoln and our particular person college students and workers — starting from psychological well being help to worker work and relationships.”
The 49-year-old Candia-Bailey took her personal life on Jan. 8, simply days after she despatched an electronic mail to the college’s Board of Curators and others, accusing Moseley of intimidation and “psychological injury” after she was on the job for lower than a yr.
Beforehand, the deceased lady’s mom, Veronica Candia, and husband, Anthony Bailey, revealed that Moseley terminated her employment within the days main as much as her dying.
Candia-Bailey reportedly shared with family and friends that her skilled relationship with Moseley had deteriorated and that she dreaded going to work.
“She mentioned this job isn’t going to kill me and this job depresses me,” Candia-Bailey’s longtime pal Monica Graham instructed NBC Information.
Extra particularly, Candia-Bailey claimed Moseley’s angle towards her worsened after she instructed him that she was recognized with extreme despair and nervousness, main her to ask for time without work underneath the Household Medical Depart Act.
Nevertheless, Moseley scoffed on the request, Candia-Bailey claimed, whereas accusing her boss of intentional harassment and bullying.
Later, investigators discovered that the college didn’t violate the Individuals with Disabilities Act by not accommodating Candia-Bailey’s psychological well being wants, noting that she was not eligible for medical go away as a result of she had not been on the college for a full yr.
The college did reply appropriately to her requests by permitting distant work and using accrued go away, in response to the Board’s assertion.
Candia-Bailey additionally instructed members of the family that she felt she was being focused due to her race, citing Moseley’s full lack of help.
On the day of her dying, Candia-Bailey despatched an electronic mail to her pal Monica Graham, which included a letter addressed to Moseley.
Within the letter, Candia-Bailey raised critical issues about Moseley’s management type, underscored by a wider tradition of toxicity among the many college’s adminstrative employees.
The allegations of harassment and bullying instantly prompted an uproar amongst college students and alumni, who organized a large campus protest to demand Moseley’s elimination.
Following its closed-door assembly on Jan. 12, nonetheless, the Board of Curators positioned Moseley on paid go away and employed an out of doors investigator to look into Candia-Bailey’s claims and to overview the the college’s dealing with of personnel points.
Practically three months later, the investigation has ended with Moseley’s title being cleared.
“Dr. Candia-Bailey’s claims that she was bullied by President Moseley had been unsubstantiated. Particularly, when straight requested in the middle of this investigation, no witnesses reported that that they had ever witnessed President Moseley have interaction in bullying — and all denied having ever personally felt bullied by President Moseley,” the board mentioned in its assertion, which was broadly circulated on social media.
The Board’s choice didn’t sit effectively with some HBCU alumni, who took to social media to assail Moseley’s reinstatement after it was introduced final week.
“I hope the Board of Curators at Lincoln College by no means know peace once more,” wrote Je’lon Alexander, a 2021 graduate of Morehouse in Atlanta, in a publish to the platform X. “To permit this white man to stay president at an HBCU after proof of him bullying Dr. Antoinette Candia-Bailey the place she dedicated suicide is pure evil. Imagine and take heed to Black Girls!!”
