A coalition of FAMU alumni and students filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the confirmation of President-select Marva Johnson, accusing the FAMU Board of Trustees (BOT) and Florida Board of Governors (BOG) of rigging the search process in violation of the state Constitution. The 154-page complaint, filed in Leon County’s Second Judicial Circuit, comes just days before the BOG’s pivotal Wednesday vote to finalize Johnson’s appointment.
Lawsuit claims “predetermined” selection process
Attorneys Mutaqee Akbar and Ennis Jacobs, representing 10 plaintiffs, allege the eight-month presidential search was compromised by “extraordinary pressure” on committee members to keep deliberations secret, creating a “deep chill” that stifled transparency. The suit claims Johnson’s selection was “predetermined,” sidelining qualified candidates and bypassing constitutional requirements for fair searches at state universities.
Plaintiffs are demanding an emergency injunction to halt Wednesday’s BOG vote and compel FAMU to hire an independent consultant to investigate the search. The defendants include all eight FAMU trustees who approved Johnson’s hiring and BOG leaders, including Chair Brian Lamb and Vice Chair Alan Levine.
Community backlash intensifies
The legal challenge follows weeks of outcry from FAMU stakeholders, who argue Johnson—a former Florida Board of Education chair and Charter Communications executive—lacks traditional academic leadership experience. Activist group Keepers of the Flame, which organized a GoFundMe raising over $6,000 to send students to Wednesday’s BOG meeting in Boca Raton, called the search “politically driven.”
“We will not be silent as our institution is handed over to those who have not earned the right to lead it,” the group stated. Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, a vocal critic, doubled down on calls for a new search, urging trustees to resign over what he termed a “tainted” process.
FAMU leadership defends Johnson
Despite the backlash, FAMU’s BOT reaffirmed its support for Johnson. Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons, who led the search, praised her “proven track record” in a letter to the BOG, citing her tenure overseeing Florida’s state colleges and her “vision to elevate [FAMU’s] academic and research enterprise.”
The BOG, which has final authority over presidential appointments, will vote on Johnson’s confirmation Wednesday afternoon. If approved, she would inherit a university grappling with historic underfunding, $212 million in deferred maintenance, and lingering distrust over systemic inequities.
Broader context: A university at a crossroads
The lawsuit amplifies longstanding tensions at FAMU, Florida’s sole public HBCU, which has repeatedly clashed with state leaders over resource disparities. Critics argue the controversial search process mirrors broader patterns of marginalization, citing a recent U.S. Department of Education report alleging Florida underfunded FAMU by nearly $2 billion compared to the University of Florida.