Dr. John Moseley, president of Lincoln University Missouri will remain with the institution after an investigation into the suicide of Dr. Bonnie Bailey concluded on March 14th, per a statement just released by the Board of Curators.
In a statement provided to HBCU Buzz, the Board of Curators cited that ‘no evidence was found that Dr. Moseley bullied Dr. Bonnie Bailey,’ during the independent investigation that Lewis Rice Higher Education Practice Group conducted.
Dr. Moseley was voted to be reinstated as president on March 15th.
“During this exhaustive, independent investigation, no evidence was found that Dr. Moseley bullied Dr. Candia-Bailey,” the statement read. “University leaders — and President Moseley himself — all confirmed that his communication style can be described as direct. But none of the witnesses interpreted his style of communication as bullying.”
Dr. Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey passed away earlier this year on January 8th. Family sources confirmed Dr. Bailey died by suicide due to distress from “bullying and severe mistreatment” in her role as VP of Student Affairs at Lincoln University Missouri.
Dr. Moseley voluntarily agreed to be placed on administrative leave while the investigation was conducted on January 12th, days after Dr. Bailey’s passing. Per the statement, he will remain President of Lincoln University and will be “working with current staff to address concerns amongst leadership and university employees.”
President Moseley was named president in January 2022 after serving as the school’s Director of Athletics and Basketball Coach.
Many students and alumni groups called for his termination during the investigation. A string of #firemoseley social media posts have questioned his qualifications, his treatment of Dr. Bailey, and whether it was appropriate for him to lead an HBCU.
“Since the beginning of his tenure at Lincoln University, Dr. Moseley has worked tirelessly to widen the path to success for our students and employees, Dr. Victor Pasley, President of the Board of Curators added. “…and the results have shown that rather than changing the culture of Lincoln, he is working to uphold our proud traditions and the values that make Lincoln special.”
The Board also announced that it is working to expand Lincoln University’s mental and behavioral health support for its students and employees.
*This story is currently developing and we will update as more info is provided.
