Get Your Tickets to the UNA Follies Here!

First, let us say we have the greatest respect and admiration for many of those who toil at, and even lead, the University of North Alabama. We're sure many who are now deans of various departments began their careers with a simple desire to teach. Now these educators are in positions they wish they were not. 

Next, let us say we've been greatly surprised by some of the few who have placed the whims of the university over the needs of Florence's school children. You know who you are; if you have any defense, you may send it here to be published. 

Yet, Dr. Kenneth Kitts' desires for a tailgaiting kingdom may be the least of his machinations. We're presenting an article from Concerned Citizen 101 for your reading enjoyment. If you pay taxes in Florence, Lauderdale County, or the state of Alabama, this is your problem. If the university ever got any of your or your parents' money, this is your problem. Read this, think about it, demand answers...

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The University of North Alabama has questionable activities going on that should be made public. Your readers can verify all of the following information by going to a very public website that Governor Bentley requires all institutions to have and maintain to publish their spending. Their website is www.una.edu/university-spending.

One of your articles stated that UNA states it has no funding. That is always the reason used when they don't want to pay for something. Especially when it comes to raises for employees. However, some employees are getting paid very well.

If you look at the above mentioned website you will see that Dean Gregory Carnes got paid over $38,000 in the month of January 2017. His normal salary ($19,000 per month) is already high enough. Why was his salary doubled? Was it a bonus? If so, a bonus for what?

Gregory Carnes is the Dean of the College of Business. The Vice President and Provost for the entire University John Thornell is paid almost $17,000 per month. John Thornell is Gregory Carnes direct supervisor and is paid quite a bit less. Your eyebrow up yet?

Keep reading it will be.

Kathy Lewis-Adler filed a lawsuit against UNA on December 9, 2013. You can verify this at Docket.justia.com. Named in the lawsuit of course was UNA but also Kerry Gatlin who was former Dean of the College of Business. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed he stepped down to a teaching position. If you look at the spending in 2013 and earlier you will see that Gatlin made a little over $11,000 per month plus teaching supplement. Gregory Carnes is getting paid significantly higher than that for the same position. The current Deans average around $12,000 per month plus teaching supplements. I guess the Dean of the College of Business requires "a lot" more work than the other Deans do. Who is this guy and what is he doing for the "powers that be".

Kathy Lewis-Adler has not been on campus for quite some time (years). However, if you look at the above mentioned website you will see that she is still getting paid. Is this a payoff/settlement? Are they covering up illegal discrimination activities? Many other payoffs have there been.

Andrew Luna who was Director of Institutional Research was removed from his position and has not been seen on campus since. An interim director has been appointed. This occurred late January 2017 -  early February. There are several reasons going around about why he's not been there. One of the reasons is he was written up last year for not "doing" his job. However, if you look at the above mentioned website you will see he is still getting paid over $8,000 per month. Why would he still be on payroll if he was removed for not doing his job? Why is he still getting paid if he's not coming to work? Heck I would like to be accused of not doing my job, sent home and still make $8,000 per month.

Let's all try to get this deal.

Go to the UNA website and click on the directory. Then type in Amber Fite-Morgan. Look at her title - University Attorney and Chief Diversity Officer. Is this not a direct conflict of interest? How can she adequately and objectively perform both roles? Does she or anyone who reports directly to her investigate harassment/discrimination complaints properly or does she sabotage and try to make them go away. Does she meet with the person that is complaining, get all of their evidence and then if the person decides to file a lawsuit does Amber recuse herself or does she defend the University against the very person she once presented herself to be an ally for? Who's going to file a complaint with the Chief Diversity Officer or anyone who reports to her knowing she is also the University Attorney? No one that's who.

But I think that's exactly what President Kitts intended. You see, if there are no complaints filed with the University there can be no lawsuits. By law you have to file an official complaint to the University and allow them to correct the action. If you don't file a complaint then you cannot file anything with the EEOC or OCR. If you can't file with the EEOC or OCR then you can't file a federal lawsuit in court.

Again, President Kitts strategically planned it like this. If there are no complaints filed then it can be reported that UNA doesn't have any issues with workplace harassment or discrimination.

When Amber Fite-Morgan first was hired she was only the University Attorney. She accepted the Chief Diversity Officer position when Dr. Thomas Calhoun left UNA for a president's position at Chicago State. Shame on Amber for accepting that additional position and violating people's civil rights.

Both eyebrows should be be up now.

It is clear that there is corruption and no institutional controls at UNA. The corruption is at the top with past President William Cale and current President Kitts as well as head of HR Catherine White and all of the cliques attached to them. The question is is the Board of Trustees aware of these issues? You can't tell me that some if not all of the Board is not aware of some of these things. UNA has to disclose lawsuits to the Board. With the number of lawsuits and pending lawsuits that UNA has been involved in one would wonder why they haven't insisted or better yet taken action themselves and cleaned the illegal activities going on to ensure future ones don't happen.

The Governor needs to launch an independent investigation into UNA. All of the complaints that have been filed from students, faculty, and staff need to be reviewed to see if they were handled properly. Especially the ones filed since Amber Fite-Morgan was hired and accepted the Chief Diversity Officer position. All judicial cases need to reviewed involving students, faculty and staff to see if Catherine White (Human Resources) as well as Student Conduct handled them correctly. All spending needs to be reviewed. I promise they will find the same if not more civil right violations and questionable and illegal activities than any other university plastered all over the news.

I will continue to dig until UNA does some significant changes in Administration and practices or I will see to it that their business is on the news all over the land and country. I'm committed to that.

Who will join me?

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In the past 30 days we've called upon three local board members/elected officials to resign. We might as well make it four:

Gov. Robert Bentley, you bring shame on Alabama government, its people, and (for what it's worth) the Baptist Church. Won't you at least now shoulder some of the blame of this sad state of affairs of state affairs and resign?