A UNA Insider Again Speaks

From Concerned Citizen 101:

Well it’s been awhile since I’ve posted about UNA. Not because things have gotten better because believe me they HAVE NOT. I have waited because I like to verify the information before I write something. This will jump around a bit but hold on to your seats you will not believe the magnitude of pure foolishness that is still going on at the University of North Alabama. 

If you remember in my last post (http://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/2017/11/return-to-una-hijinks.html) I told you that Ms. Audrey Mitchell was forced out of her position by Kimberly Greenway, Catherine White and President Kenneth Kitts. (See link above) Well I thought that maybe Ms. Mitchell’s new Vice President Mr. Evan Thornton (VP for Business & Financial Affairs) would at least be a good person so that she could finally have some peace. Well I spoke to several employees and people affiliated with UNA and it appears that Mr. Thornton is just as questionable and shady as the rest of the Administration. Heck, I guess that’s why Kitts chose him to replace Mr. Clinton Carter. But I’ll let you make your on conclusions based on the facts.

So it appears that Mr. Thornton was originally hired by Mr. Clinton Carter as Controller in the Business and Financial Affairs Office. I’m told that when he first got there he was very nice and helpful to everyone. When Mr. Carter abruptly left in the summer of 2016 (some say he was terminated by Kitts and escorted off campus) Mr. Evan Thornton (white male) was promoted to interim Vice President. While working in the interim position he worked very closely and depended very heavily on Melissa Williams (black female) to help carry the load of Controller duties such as audits, Board of Trustee reports and all the financials at UNA. During this time, Mr. Thornton even promoted Ms. Williams to Assistant Controller. I’m told Evan often bragged on her in many settings saying Ms. Williams was his right hand and he couldn’t do any of this without her. This went on for about a year.

Finally the Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs position was advertised and Mr. Evan Thornton applied, went through the interview process and received the job. Now that Evan got what he wanted...here’s where the mask comes off and the true colors of Evan Thornton are revealed. I’m told that he did some relocation of people and soon after he got his permanent position he promoted Cindy Conlon (white female) (Remember that name. You should she’s named in the Mitchell v UNA lawsuit) from Assistant Vice President of Procurement to Associate Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs. Here’s the problem. I’m told that Cindy Conlon doesn’t know anything about accounting, financials and couldn’t begin to do anything to help with audits or board reports. But she’s paid very well to supervise the controller and assistant controller positions.

Now that Evan Thornton was officially the new VP his old position of Controller needed to be filled. You would think if Ms. Melissa Williams had stepped up when needed and had been doing the duties of Controller along side Evan Thornton for a year he would promote internally and reward Ms. Williams for helping him in his time of need. Well of course not. It appears that UNA doesn’t reward too many minorities. Heck, he promoted her white counterpart (Cindy Conlon) and she wasn’t in the least bit qualified. I’m told Cindy Conlon’s new position wasn’t advertised externally either. They do for who they want to do for. Well I digress.

So the Controller position is advertised externally and Ms. Williams applies. I’m told that she was selected to receive a phone interview but was not “good enough” to receive an on campus interview. Now comes the suspicious part. I’m told the search committee consisted of Cindy Conlon and everyone’s favorite HR person Catherine White. (Now I know you remember that name. She’s now named in multiple lawsuits and EEOC complaints.) There were other members on the committee but I’m told not one person on the committee had direct knowledge and hands on experience of what a Controller actually does. How did Mr. Evan Thornton approve such a committee? Sound like a sham committee?? Look like funny business going on??? Well because it is.

I’m told the person who was eventually chosen for the position Mr. Mike Nelson doesn’t even have a Masters degree and has never worked in/with Higher Education financials. I’m told Mr. Nelson doesn’t know any of the accounting/financial systems that UNA uses and is NOT familiar with any of the processes. But I’m told that Ms. Williams has been asked by Mr. Evan Thornton to train Mr. Nelson on more than one occasion. Yes, you read that correctly!! The same black female who applied for the position. The same black female who was told by Cindy Conlon and her sham of a search committee that she was not good enough to make it to the final three for an on campus interview was asked to train her new white male boss. Let that marinate for a minute.

If Cindy Conlon was so qualified to be promoted from Assistant Vice President for Procurement (which was only responsible for one small area which was purchasing and had no supervision over the Controller or Assistant Controller and nothing to do with the accounting and financials of the University) to Associate Vice President which the Controller and Assistant Controller would now report to them why would Evan ask Melissa Williams to train her new boss? Just ask Cindy Conlon. Oh I know, she doesn’t know how to do the work!! So, how in the heck could she train him. I’m told Melissa Williams is still doing a lot of the Controller job duties.

Anyone else see this as bull? I sure hope Ms. Williams has or is going to file an EEOC complaint.

There’s something else about Mr. Evan Thornton that I was told that I find quite disturbing. It appears that several people under Mr. Thornton’s supervision has received a speech from him that basically says: UNA is a great place to work and if you don’t like it at UNA you can just leave. He then says something like...if you think you can find something better go try and then let him know because he wants to go and work there to. I’m told that his staff usually hears this when they are voicing concerns about something.

Again just my opinion. But Mr. Evan Thornton is threatening his staff so that they will be too scared to file complaints or voice their opinions and/or concerns. He is also creating a hostile work environment with fear and intimidation. Let’s face it if a Vice President comes to a meeting and stands up or sits there and says to a group of his subordinates if you don’t like UNA you can leave then that could be construed as a threat! From his perspective UNA may be great and that’s fine. But he has to know there are real issues at that University and everyone does not have the same experiences as him. Heck everyone does not receive the same pay (over $170,000 per year) as him. But what Evan Thornton is really saying is if you have issues than you need to leave and that’s just wrong.

What is wrong with these people? How does Evan Thornton think this speech is okay to say to people? Again, I guess that’s why Kenneth Kitts chose him. He thinks like the rest of the Administration. Be very careful Mr. Thornton or you’re going to find yourself named in your very own lawsuit. Especially if he has been dumb enough to give his speech in the presence of Ms. Audrey Mitchell.

After hearing all of this I made the statement “All of the University of North Alabama Administration (Executive Council) needs to be cleaned out. https://www.una.edu/administration/offices-and-administration/executive-council.html 

But someone pointed out that maybe not everyone on the Executive Council is questionable. It appears that the new Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ross Alexander, has been doing a lot of good things and doing a lot of firsts in hiring/promoting qualified minorities since he’s been there. Dr. Eric Kirkman named new Director of Kilby. Dr. Terrence Brown named new founding Director of the School of the Arts. But one can’t help but wonder why now. Is this sincere or smoke and mirrors due to the racial discrimination issues that are becoming public? Time will tell.

Which brings me to my next point which includes both UNA and everyone’s favorite newspaper TimesDaily. I was told and actually heard the recording for myself that someone made when they called the You Said It line at TimesDaily and left the message to be published in the You Said It column of the newspaper. The call was made several weeks ago and to date has been omitted. When you read the exact message that was left you will see why. Here’s the message verbatim.

“If you think that UNA naming a building after its first black student means all is well at UNA you are sadly mistaken. Let's not forget the Mitchell v UNA lawsuit as well as other discriminatory incidents that's have occurred to minorities on that campus. There are letters that were sent to several black pastors and civic leaders in the area that detail these incidents and call for protests. Let's also not forget that the same names keep coming up in these various incidents and lawsuits. This includes President Kitts, Catherine White, Kevin Jacques, David Shields, and Amber Fite-Morgan. The letters demand the university Board of Trustees such as Joel Anderson and Marty Abroms and others stop playing politics and do something about the systemic discrimination on the campus.”

Now how many think this will ever be printed. Mr. Joel Anderson and Mr. Marty Abroms wouldn’t have it and everyone knows TimesDaily only prints the feel good, make UNA look good articles. If the caller had said how great UNA is then that would have found its way in the You Said It column very quickly. Well I’m calling TimesDaily out. I will be writing the editor and asking when I can expect this message to appear in the paper. I was told that supposedly Ms. Sherhonda Allen and some of the writers have already received some emails.

Concerning the letters that were mentioned that were supposedly sent out to black ministers and civic leaders more to come at a later date. I’ve read one of the letters so I know it’s true but I’m waiting on an update on if the black community is organizing an actual protest about the racial discriminatory issues. I’m told they are and all I can say it’s about time. My advice = keep protesting, keep marching, keep calling and asking questions until there’s some real change and all issues resolved and all involved removed. Apply the pressure in a very public way!!

Once I confirm some things I will be sure to write about it.

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No matter what you may think of the Four-Way re-entry program in Tuscumbia, here's a kicker for you. A resident of Colbert County reports she called Dr. Larry Stutts, aka Sen. Stutts, about the situation. His advice? Pray for the lives of these men to be changed.

While we believe in the power of prayer, such an answer to a real-world problem just doesn't cut it. Certainly, pray, but let's at least have a contingency plan for any problems that arise out of this "ministry."