BOT chairman says Cassidy approached him about potential deal to replace McKnight

Vice-President Dale Cassidy (left) and Vice-President Avery McKnight (right)

Yesterday, the chairman of the FAMU Board of Trustees said that a senior member of the FAMU administrative team called him about a potential deal to replace Vice-President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Avery McKnight.

Rufus Montgomery created a Special Committee on Governance shortly after he became the new chairman of the Board of Trustees in April. He asked the committee to discuss the possibility of having the FAMU general counsel report to the Board of Trustees in addition to the president. He also asked the committee to seek clarification on the options that are available to the board for employing outside counsel.

At the Special Committee on Governance meeting held yesterday, Rufus said that a senior member of the FAMU administrative team called him last weekend and asked him if he would be willing to have the committee end its discussions on those issues in exchange for replacing McKnight. He said that the administrator shared the name of the potential new general counsel.

“I was told in exchange for replacing Attorney McKnight, we would drop this whole thing,” Rufus said.

Trustee Robert Woody asked President Elmira Mangum to respond to what the chairman had said.

“Not having been part of that conversation that he had with a senior leadership team member, I can’t comment on that,” Mangum said.

Vice-Chairman Kelvin Lawson then asked the president a follow-up question.

“Dr. Mangum you’re saying you had no knowledge of this phone call being made?” he asked.

Lawson said the members of the board should have that information because it sounded like “there was an insinuation that if certain personnel moves were made, an issue would be a nonissue.”

“I don’t know who made the call,” Mangum said.

Rufus then said the name of the individual who he claimed had called him.

“I spoke with V.P. Dale Cassidy,” Rufus said. Cassidy is the FAMU vice president for finance and administration.

That statement by the chairman appeared to make Mangum upset.

“I find it very troubling to have this kind of conversation regarding a personnel issue,” she said.

She added that: “It’s not uncommon to have information shared from certain team members to board members…There are members of the team that have better communication with some board members.”

Lawson asked Mangum if she knew about the phone call.

“Did you have knowledge that this conversation took place?” he asked.

Mangum referred him to her earlier comments and said: “That’s my answer.”

The chairman then asked her to be more specific.

“It’s either a yes or a no,” he said.

“You’ve received my answer,” said Mangum.

McKnight and Cassidy were both at the committee meeting but they were not asked to speak about the issue.

The committee came to the conclusion that the Board of Trustees already has the authority to enter into contracts with attorneys from outside the university.