“The world has turned FAMU into the World’s Greatest live
television show,” he said. “Shonda Rhimes couldn't write a better episode of
drama. It’s filled with cliffhangers and ‘stay tuned for next week," but
the drama has become a runaway train; a train that we no longer control…Let's
stop contributing to the problem. In fact, let’s turn the television off.”
Washington is the last person who should be trying to scold
anyone on this topic.
Back in 2009, Washington was a cast member of the BET
reality TV show College Hill South Beach. It was the sixth season of the
series.
A two part-episode called “Ribgate” featured a dispute between him and Kathryn “Kay” Barlow over a plate of ribs. Barlow ate some ribs that Washington had cooked without asking and he later let her know how angry he was.
FAMU.edu now lists Washington as part of the “Communications
Staff Directory.” His name appears with the title “student engagement coordinator” under it.
Washington has been in the news as part of the ongoing public drama with the Student Government Association elections. SGA presidential
race winner Justin Bruno filed an injunction request earlier this year against
the university administration’s decision to support a redo of the entire
presidential election. He said President Elmira Mangum is going along with an
effort “to manipulate the election on behalf of the (FAMU) administration and
other administrators.”
The Tallahassee Democrat reported that: “Bruno said Mangum’s
bottom line decision follows a pattern that became evident during the campaign.
He alleges that Kyle Washington, student engagement coordinator within the
Office of Communications, served as campaign manager for his opponents.”
Bruno told reporters he thinks Mangum wants his campaign
opponent on the BOT because the two of them have a personal
friendship that’s led her to believe he’ll help protect her job.
An March 23, 2016 editorial in the Tallahassee Democrat
said: “FAMU President Elmira Mangum continues to preside over rampant
dysfunction and unrest…Speaking of confusion, the Student Government
Association election has turned into a disaster, with accusations of
electioneering and presidential meddling being levied by the winning candidate.”
That disaster is still dragging on. Leon County Circuit
Judge John Cooper granted Bruno’s request for a temporary injunction to stop a
full redo of the SGA presidential election in both Tallahassee and the law
school campus in Orlando. Cooper
agreed with Bruno that the new election should only take place in Orlando where
voting-day problems were reported.
But Mangum went on to cancel the Orlando-only election redo and asked the BOT for approval to appeal the ruling by Cooper. The BOT supported her with a narrow 7-5 vote.
But Mangum went on to cancel the Orlando-only election redo and asked the BOT for approval to appeal the ruling by Cooper. The BOT supported her with a narrow 7-5 vote.
The TV-style drama at FAMU will only get worse as long as individuals like Kyle Washington are in Lee Hall.