St. Pete Times funny pages: McDevitt asked about accountability

In an article covering North Carolina Central University’s unauthorized Lithonia, Ga. satellite campus, St. Petersburg Times reporter Ron Matus asked Board of Governors (BOG) Chairwoman Sheila McDevitt to comment. She, and the BOG’s official spokesman, both declined his request.

Matus was quick to approach McDevitt about a mistake made during President James Ammons’ watch at NCCU. However, he has yet to ask any tough questions about why she, as former BOG vice-chairwoman failed to hold former FAMU Interim President Castell Bryant accountable.

McDevitt consistently rallied to Bryant’s side despite the qualified state audits, misspent millions, and payroll meltdown that landed FAMU on probation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 2006, when FAMUans protested Bryant’s decision to fire the SBI 8 in violation of the university's collective bargaining agreement, McDevitt told Rattler Country to just shut up and back the university’s interim head, saying:

“No interim president can do a good job if they don’t have the support of their board of trustees. An interim is there to clean up a mess, and you’ve got to have support. So why don’t you rally around that person? I’m just kind of shocked about what’s going on. ... They’re in all kinds of a swirl.”

McDevitt’s comments elicited a sharp editorial response from Capital Outlook Publisher Roosevelt Wilson, who took her to task for ignoring the seriousness of Bryant’s recklessness actions.

Simply put, McDevitt has no credibility to speak on the issue of academic accountability. Her refusal to reign in Bryant almost cost FAMU its accreditation.