Gibson ouster vote fails 5-5A&M president says board action 'complete surprise'
Saturday, November 06, 2004
By KENNETH KESNER
Times Staff Writer, kesner@htimes.comA call for Alabama A&M University President John Gibson's resignation ended in a tie vote of the board of trustees Friday afternoon.
After a nearly three-hour closed session, Dr. Shefton Riggins made a motion to ask Gibson to step down from the post he has held since 1996. The move was seconded by Robert Avery; the vote by secret ballot was a 5-5 tie, according to trustee and board secretary Velma Tribue. Though the motion failed to pass, the issue can be revisited within 30 days.
"It took me by complete surprise," said Gibson.
He said the trustees' executive committee had presented his annual evaluation in a meeting just the night before, and it was not unfavorable. Also, during Friday's board meeting, Audit Committee Chairman Robert Holmes had again confirmed that they had not found any illegal action on the part of the president or other employees after investigating concerns raised by Gibson's use of a University Foundation account and by the findings of a state audit.
Gibson also pointed out he had wholeheartedly supported the Audit Committee's recommendations - approved by the board Friday - calling for new rules and procedures controlling spending and finances.
"I was really taken aback," he said of the resignation motion.
Riggins said Friday night he had no comment at this time. During the public portion of the meeting, he said he was dissatisfied that the administration and trustees still are unable to account for nearly $2 million lost by the University Bookstore between 2000 and 2002.
Riggins and Avery were appointed to the board this year by Gov. Bob Riley, who also serves as president. Riggins served on the board from 1994 to 2000 and pointed out Friday that much of what the Audit Committee investigated this year are recurring problems.
Tribue said she couldn't comment about the discussion in the closed meeting and referred questions to Clinton Johnson, who was voted president pro tempore - the board's highest office - earlier in the day. Johnson could not be reached Friday night.
Holmes left the meeting before noon Friday and did not participate in the resignation vote.
Trustee Jesse Cleveland, the former president pro tempore, said the executive committee's evaluation of Gibson had set forth strict guidelines designed to correct any perception of financial impropriety at the university. They would have worked hand-in-glove with the Audit Committee recommendations.
"I can only say that I'm sorry that, today, all that went south, for whatever reason," said Cleveland.
Trustee Hall Bryant said Friday night the closed session had been a spirited debate about Gibson's leadership.
He acknowledged a main theme of the discussion was the fact that the university seemed to be revisiting many of the same problems over and over.
"Dr. Gibson has done a lot of good things at A&M," said Bryant, who was appointed to the board this year. But a number of board members feel Gibson hasn't provided the necessary leadership, he said.
The board recessed after the vote, rather than adjourning, which means they can return to the issue within 30 days.
"In the next 30 days, I think each board member will make their own evaluation, and we'll have another vote," said Bryant.
Gibson's contract runs through July 2007. He said he feels his character and integrity have been impugned, and that he will pray, talk with his family and an attorney as he decides what to do next.
"I'm going to do what's best for my family and what's best for the university," he said.
Its about time somebody on the Hill showed some f*ckin' balls.
thats what happens when you have white people as board of trustees at a HBCU :???:
but ya cant help it A&M is a public school so what they government says goes...
Speaking of that, I have never understood why schools can not pick their board of trustee's but the governer picks them. I would rather some alumni who have my school in their heart make decisions for my school rather than some random people appointed by the governer
