It’s been just over a week since Morris Brown College (MBC) President Dr. Kevin E. James was fired by the Board of Trustees. But after he promised to take legal action against the Atlanta college and following widespread outrage from community members, it seems MBC is backtracking big time.
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We previously told you Dr. James announced his termination last Monday (Jan. 12). He’d been hired at the historically Black college (HBCU) in 2019 following decades of bad leadership, fraud allegations and a devastating accreditation loss.
The MBC community was shocked by the president’s firing, especially considering they largely approved of James clearing the school’s remaining debts and increasing student enrollment to the largest it’s been in years. Dr. James called his termination “deeply concerning” and promised to take legal action, citing that his contract with MBC doesn’t expire until 2029.
The Board of Trustees reversed its ruling within days of Dr. James’ Facebook statement. “After careful review, the Board determined that Dr. James’ separation from the College did not fully comply with the procedural and contractual requirements outlined in his employment agreement,” the board wrote in a Tuesday (Jan. 20) statement.
“The Board recognizes its responsibility to adhere to established governance standards and to correct actions that fall short of those obligations,” it continued.
According to the Board, the decision to reinstate James was a mutual one, occurring four days after he was canned. The college’s website restored his bio and title as president. There’s no mention of his previous termination.
Still, while it seems MBC is trying to move past the confusion, folks online are holding the university accountable. “Wow. Fired one week and reinstated the next. That’s not a turnaround, that’s confusion,” @Blesing_Andrew tweeted.
Some questioned whether James’ threat to sue had anything to do with his reinstatement. “Why was he let go in the first place? That lawsuit would of financially ruined the institution lol,” @kiss_my_grits01 said on X.
One former board member, Jeffery Miller, told WSB-TV that James’ reinstatement could negatively impact the board’s reputation in the community. “It’s going to make the board look incompetent, and that’s never good at any institution,” he said.
“I still stand by my vote that he was the right person for that time. Now, it’s a different story,” Miller added of his vote for James seven years ago, but times are different now. “I think this person’s time is up at Morris Brown and it’s time to move forward,” he continued.
Allegations of intimidation, sexual assault, violations of college policy and discrimination also landed James in the hot seat on campus, according to WSB-TV. “Dr. James is impulsive, tone deaf, lacks professionalism, displays severe issues of moral turpitude, and is such a dysfunctional character,” one employee’s grievance read according to the outlet.
Days before James’ reinstatement, Morris Brown Accountability Now, an alumni-led watchdog group, released a statement rejecting the decision, 11 Alive reported. They urged the board to “immediately cease any action, discussion, or vote related to the reinstatement.” The group expressed fears James’ return would be a “profound breach of fiduciary duty and further erode public trust in the institution’s leadership.”
Neither Morris Brown nor Dr. James has confirmed exactly what led to his firing or whether these accusations influenced the decision to let him go. James reacted to his reinstatement, saying, “The work continues.”
He added, “Our immediate priorities are to begin the healing journey while continuing our focused preparation for our upcoming accreditation reaffirmation visit in two weeks. We will be ready. The time is now. We now begin The Hard Reset Part II.”
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