The ex-chairman’s statement about the sick leave issue was
part of an email that he sent to President Elmira Mangum and copied to General
Counsel Avery McKnight on August 12, 2015 following a morning phone meeting. Mangum forwarded the email to Board of
Governors Chancellor Marshall Criser, III on that same day. She said that the
email contained “many of the same questions raised on the public record and answered
at the meeting.”
4. Your sick leave approval form for July 1-2, 2015.
"Your executive assistant (and member of your senior leadership team) Ms. Hightower presented a form to me in your conference room almost weeks after you took sick leave in conjunction with the July 4th holiday weekend. I asked her to ask you to speak with me directly about it and I haven't heard from you. My goal here is to ensure compliance with university policy."What's the status of your request?"Please note that I've approved three of your prior requests for personal leave including one that was backdated. As the person who signs off on your leave forms, I am responsible for knowing that you are in compliance before I apply my signature."
The email forwarded to Criser did not include any specific
response from Mangum about the sick leave issue.
That sick leave question in the August 12 email came more
than a month after a June 4 investigation report written by the FAMU Division
of Audit and Compliance concluded that former FAMU Athletic Director Kellen
Winslow received compensation for unearned leave.
The report ended with a recommendation “that 128 hours (the
hours for the 16 days in which leave was taken but not authorized), be deducted
from Mr. Winslow’s leave payout.”
