2005: Wright compares Castell’s critics to crack dealers

Back in 2005 the Rev. Joseph T. Wright, pastor of Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, wrote an angy letter to the Tallahassee Democrat complaining about the “verbal abuse by some so-called ‘intellectual’ professors” against then-FAMU Interim President Castell Bryant.

“What is the difference in watching a gang-banger sell crack to children versus listening to educated adults use sophisticated, well-polished words to attack their boss and openly attempt to discredit her authority?” Wright wrote.

Wright must have slept through his high school civics classes. Otherwise, he’d know the answer to his own question. Freedom of speech is protected by the U.S. Constitution. Selling crack is not.

The reverend went on to say that any employee who publicly expressed a problem with one of Bryant’s decisions should leave FAMU. This came after Castell had destroyed the recruitment program and trampled over shared governance.

“When you desire to openly criticize your boss, please first resign and don’t bring reproach or embarrassment to the institution that butters your bread and has educated your children,” he said.

Wright added that “maybe it is time to encourage the students to boycott the classes of some professors who advocate this type of gang-banger behavior.”

Ironically, Wright later supported disgraced Rev. Henry J. Lyons’ 2009 bid for re-election to the presidency of the National Baptist Convention, USA. Lyons served five years in prison for defrauding the convention’s corporate donors out of $5.2M. He used the money to buy luxury homes and jewelry and support his mistresses.

So let’s get this straight: Castell and Lyons are good role models, but professors who exercise their constitutional rights are demonstrating “gang-banger behavior?”

It looks like Wright is the one who needs to stay far away from FAMU’s students.