FAMU's presidential search has been thrust into turmoil after the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) demanded records related to the process.
In an April 21 letter to Interim President Tim Beard, the BOG ordered FAMU to turn over a list of individuals who signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) tied to the search and to provide copies of the agreements. Two days later, the BOG emailed FAMU requesting the video recording of the search committee proceedings where four finalists were selected.
The requests blindsided several trustees, who learned of the BOG’s inquiry during a contentious April 24 board meeting.
Claims of “innuendo” vs. calls for transparency
Florida BOG Vice Chair Alan Levine, who serves on FAMU’s 15-member search committee, vehemently denied allegations of impropriety. “Statements suggesting the Board of Governors has concerns about this search are patently untrue,” he via text messages obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat.
Search Committee Chair Deveron Gibbons doubled down, defending the process as “smooth,” “open,” and “transparent.” He revealed that all meetings were recorded and monitored by FAMU’s General Counsel, dismissing criticism as baseless “innuendo.”
“If rules were violated, it would have come out,” Gibbons said, challenging skeptics to file a formal complaint with the BOG. “This nonsense about what happened in the room… I can assure you none of it is accurate.”
According to sources familiar with the matter, tensions flared during final deliberations, with members initially agreeing on three finalists from a pool of six interviewed candidates. However, the committee reportedly expanded the list to four after Search Committee Chair Deveron Gibbons pushed to include Marva Johnson, a politically connected figure who previously held appointments under former Gov. Rick Scott and current Gov. Ron DeSantis.