On July 10, the board of trustees of historically Black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania voted not to renew the contract of the university’s president Brenda Allen.
President Allen filed a lawsuit and a second lawsuit was filed by the attorney general of Pennsylvania. The suits claimed that decision to oust President Allen violated the state’s Sunshine Act and the university’s own bylaws when they voted in secret on the contract issue. In addition, five newly appointed board members were not allowed to vote on the contract extension.
Only July 24, William P. Mahon, a judge on the Chester County court, ruled that President Allen must be reinstated to her post. The board would be allowed to revisit the issue at its August 6 meeting but the five new members must be given the opportunity to participate in the decision. Also, two board members who resigned after objecting to the board’s decision not to negotiate a new contract with President Allen would have to be reinstated.
At the August 6 meeting, the board of trustees voted unanimously to negotiate a new contract for President Allen.
Before being named the fourteenth president of Lincoln University in 2017, Dr. Allen was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. She is the former associate provost for institutional diversity at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Earlier, she taught at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
A graduate of Lincoln University, Dr. Allen holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Seeking — and abiding by — SOUND legal advice would help our HBCUs avoid these kinds of messy embarrassments! The high-handedness that characterized the action of the Lincoln University board is precisely the kind of phenomenon that so discourages talented professionals from affiliating with the very institutions that so need them. When will we learn?
It is good knowing that students at Lincoln will continue to have the support of a leader who will have their interest at heart. A leader who will seek to present them with opportunities that will ready them for the future.
Keep up the good work Dr. Allen!
Good news! I am very excited about her continued work at Lincoln.
Keeping unqualified and people with inflated egos off of HBCUs Board of Trustees, or at a minimum, keeping these people from board leadership positions would be a great help to HBCUs. This was very similar to what happened at Bethune!
Obviously, Lincoln has no knowledge of Allen’s job performance and antics at Winston-Sale State University. Ironically, she accused Lincoln of things she did at Winston-Salem State University. This woman and the Chancellor nearly bankrupted the university and enrollment dropped by more than 1000 students. She uses students and promotions and pay raises to her cronies to maintain her power. Well, Lincoln welcome to hell.