Saint Augustine's University dealing with financial woes: How did we get here?
REPLACE FORMER CHIEF KIM
BRADEN, WHO RETIRED.
A DORM AT SAINT AUGUSTINE'S
UNIVERSITY DAMAGED IN A FIRE
SKY 5 OVER THE CAMPUS THERE
TODAY. YOU CAN SEE THE BROKEN
WINDOWS, AN ARSON INVESTIGATION
RIGHT NOW IS UNDERWAY ON TOP
OF THAT, POLICE ARRESTED A MAN
FOR TRYING TO STEAL FROM THE
UNIVERSITY'S ACCUSED OF TRYING
TO STEAL COPPER WIRE FROM HVAC
UNITS. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE 2
INCIDENTS ARE LINKED TO DO.
WE KNOW THE FIRE HAPPENED A
COUPLE WEEKS AGO. THE THEFT
HAPPENED JUST THIS MORNING,
BUT THIS IS SHAKEN. THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE WORKING ON THE CAMPUS
THERE, MANY OF WHOM ARE WORKING
MULTIPLE JOBS. WILL THE SCHOOL
SORTS OUT ITS FINANCIAL ISSUES?
JUST LISTEN TO HIM. AND WE
SPOKE TO TODAY. HE WORKED FOR
SECURITY, LANDSCAPING AND THE
TRACK TEAM. WORKING FOR FREE.
>> I HAD TO CUT OFF A LOT OF.
A WORKER WAS THE IT'S A HOLY
GOD. LET GO WAS IT WAS TOO MUCH
BICKERING.
>> IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE A NOTE
IT, BUT I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M
HERE TO SHIP, GO DOWN.
>> SO THE FINANCIAL AND LEGAL
TROUBLES INVOLVING SENDING US
TONS GO BACK. MANY, MANY YEARS.
MANY PROBLEMS, LAWSUITS.
THE FIGHT TO KEEP THEIR
ACCREDITATION. SO WE'D LIKE TO
ANSWER THE QUESTION BEFORE WE
MOVE ON HAS TO HOW DID WE GET
HERE?
>> IT WAS BACK IN 2014 WHEN THE
UNIVERSITY'S PRESIDENT RESIGNED
AMID CONTROVERSY A FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION ACCREDITATION
QUESTIONS AND SEVERAL FINANCIAL
ISSUES SO FAMILIAR, FAST
FORWARD TO 2016 SACKS PLACE
SAINT AUG'S ON PROBATION CITING
FINANCIAL ISSUES 2 YEARS AFTER
THAT IN 2018, THEY DID GET A
LITTLE HELP. THE SCHOOL
RESTRUCTURED ITS FINANCES,
BUYING THEM SOME TIME TO GET
BACK ON TRACK TODAY. OF COURSE,
A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. THE PLAN
GOT SAINT AUG'S OFF PROBATION
IN DECEMBER OF 2018, BUT WITHIN
A MONTH IT LOST ANOTHER
PRESIDENT. THIS TIME TO
RETIREMENT. IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR
LATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PANDEMIC. A NEW PRESIDENT
URGING THAT FAIL TOOK OVER JUST
AS THE SCHOOL TOOK DRAMATIC
STEPS TO STAY AFLOAT, REDUCING
STAFF THEN TRAGICALLY LESS THAN
A YEAR INTO HIS LEADERSHIP.
DOCTOR, IRVING MCPHAIL WAS
INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS,
OFF-CAMPUS. AND LAST NIGHT DIED
FROM COMPLICATIONS OF COVID.
>> MONTHS LATER IT WAS MAKE
SALES WIFE WHO TOOK A JOB AS
PRESIDENT, WHO BETTER THAN ME
TO STEP IN. AND I WANT MY
BACKGROUND. MY FAMILY ALLERGY
WITH THE DIRECTION THAT THEY
WERE TAKEN. THE UNIVERSITY IN
2022. SACKS PUT SAINT
AUGUSTIN'S BACK ON PROBATION
AND IN 2023, ANOTHER SURPRISING
HEADLINE. THE ABRUPT FIRING OF
DOCTOR MCPHAIL AND SHE TOLD ME
THIS ALL STEMMED FROM AN
OCTOBER BOARD MEETING WHERE SHE
AND A COLLEAGUE WERE BERATED BY
A BOARD MEMBER AND THEN THINGS
TURNED UGLY. THAT FAIL SUED
THE UNIVERSITY CLAIMING A
HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
WRAL INVESTIGATES FOUND THE
SCHOOL TO COUNTY 7 MILLION
DOLLAR LINE OF CREDIT AND WAS
FAILING TO PAY A LOT OF BILLS.
$430,000 FOR STUDENT HEALTH
INSURANCE PLANS ON PAGE
$598,000 FOR A NEW TURF FIELD
UNPAID UNIVERSITY STAFF
PAYCHECKS WERE DELAYED AND SAKS
VOTED TO REMOVE SAINT
AUGUSTIN'S. ACCREDITATION IS
BEEN SO BAD. STUDENTS EVEN HELD
A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR THE
SCHOOL. PRAY FOR OUR
UNIVERSITY.
>> PRAY FOR THE CURRENT
STUDENTS WHO ARE WORKING
TIRELESSLY THEN IN NOVEMBER THE
SCHOOL ANNOUNCED IT WOULD CUT
ITS STAFF IN HALF A PART OF AN
EFFORT TO SAVE 17 MILLION
DOLLARS. 2 MONTHS LATER, THE
UNIVERSITY THEN TRIED TO RAISE
MONEY WITH A 70 MILLION DOLLAR
LAND LEASE DEAL WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
RAISED CONCERNS AND THE DEAL
WAS MODIFIED. THEN MORE
LAWSUITS OVER UNPAID BILLS.
2 OF THEM TOTALLY 18 MILLION
DOLLARS. MEANTIME, THE BACK
AND FORTH CONTINUED OVER THE
SCHOOL'S ACCREDITATION. A BOARD
VOTE IN DECEMBER. IT WAS DENIED
AN APPEAL IN MARCH DENIED AGAIN
IN ARBITRATION PANEL EARLIER
THIS WEEK. ONCE MORE DENIED.
BUT UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT MARCUS
BURGESS MAINTAINS SAINT AUGS
IS NOT CLOSING CLASSES WILL
CONTINUE AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT
HERE.
>> I GET IT. THAT'S A LOT.
IT IS A LONG STORY. LONG
TIMELINE AND IT'S BEEN AN
ABSOLUTE SAGA. BUT IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT WE EXPLAIN AND
TALK ABOUT WHY THIS STORY
MATTERS SO MUCH. WHY WE KEEP
TALKING ABOUT SEEING A GUST
AND UNIVERSITY IN THIS IN THIS
DETAIL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
SCHOOL'S PAST, WE'RE REMINDED
NOT ONLY OF ITS STRUGGLES BUT
OF ITS SUCCESS, US SOME OF THEM
INCREDIBLE SUCCESSES. ANNA
JULIA COOPER. SHE GRADUATED
BACK WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS KNOWN
AS OBERLIN COLLEGE. SHE WAS
BORN A SLAVE BECAME JUST THE
4TH BLACK WOMAN TO EARN A PH D
JOE HOLD JUNIOR IS A SAINT
AUGUSTIN'S GRAB. HIS FAMILY WAS
THE FIRST TO CHALLENGE RALLY
SEGREGATED PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM. NOT LONG AFTER THE
FIRST BLACK STUDENT WAS
ENROLLED AT A RALLY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL DOCTOR BENJAMIN CHAVIS
WAS AN ASSISTANT TO MARTIN
LUTHER KING JUNIOR AND HE WENT
ON TO SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE NAACP ROUTH
CAMPBELL WAS THE FIRST BLACK
PERSON TO HOLD STATEWIDE
ELECTED OFFICE IN OUR STATE
HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, HE WON
THE RACE FOR STATE AUDITOR BACK
IN 1992. BURSCH ON JACKSON.
BETTER KNOWN AS BATMAN WAS A
WORLD CLASS TRACK ATHLETE
ATHLETE, HIS SIGNATURE EVENT
WAS THE 400 METER HURDLES.
HE WON SEVERAL WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS, INCLUDING A
BRONZE MEDAL. JACKSON LATER
COACHED AT THE SCHOOL ALONGSIDE
GEORGE WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS
COACH, THE TRACK TEAM TO 16
DIVISION, 2 NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS AND THEN HIS NAME
GOT KIND OF CAUGHT UP IN THE
SCHOOL STRUGGLES. HE FILED A
LAWSUIT AFTER SAINT AUG'S.
LET HIM GO BACK IN 2020.
BUT LOOK, THE POINT OF ALL THAT
IS EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE COME FROM
SAINT AUGUSTIN'S AND HAVE BEEN
FOR 158 YEARS. IT'S UP TO THE
SCHOOL'S LEADERS TO UPHOLD THAT
LEGACY AND IT'S UP TO THE