University administrators cancelled a mass body meeting of students Oct. 10, 2019, angering students who said that they were being silenced.
“The interruption of our meeting made us feel like the administration was taking our voice away,” Student Government President Jenay Jones said.
Administrators closed and locked the door to the university ballroom shortly before the 7 p.m. meeting was to start. They posted a sign on the door saying that the meeting had been cancelled. No explanation was given.
“I feel as if the administration is taking away the rights and voices of their very own students,” Wilberforce University student Eriack Hernod said. “At Wilberforce our students are always heard, so I hope that we can help our fellow peers be heard.”
Senior class Board Member Diamond Snell said that administrators – and not the SGA– cancelled the meeting. “(SGA) did not plan this and they still want to hear what our students want to say,” Snell said.
Students believe that administrators cancelled the meeting after learning that Mr. CSU Jonathan Carey intended to speak at the meeting and address rumors that he had been sexually assaulted by an administrator. After the mass body meeting was cancelled, Carey spoke to dozens of students outside the University Center and told them that he had, in fact, been assaulted by an administrator. However, Carey denied rumors that the assault involved sexual intercourse.
SGA leaders say they were just as surprised as anyone by what Carey said. “We didn’t know that he was going to voice the allegations. We just knew that he had something to tell everyone. He is required to report at the mass body meeting … about royal court,” Jones said.
The university is considering a new policy on fraternization, which would prohibit consensual relationships between employees and members of the university community they supervise or evaluate.