by Kelly Boggs, Message Editor
PINEVILLE – Three Louisiana College trustees resigned from the board during the Sept. 16 meeting held on the Pineville campus. Two others tendered their resignations shortly after the meeting.
The five resigned, in part, in response to the trustees re-election of Tommy French, trustee from Baton Rouge, as chaiman of the board.
Lonnie Scarborough, Jay Adkins and Roxane West all resigned immediately following the election of Tommy French of Baton Rouge to a second term as chairman of the board. Scarborough was nominated in opposition to French.
Following the announcement of the results of the election, which was conducted by secret ballot and fell in favor of French 20-10, the three trustees resigned in rapid succession: Scarborough first, then Adkins and finally West.
Adkins and West were in the final year of their trustee terms and attending their final meeting. Scarborough’s term was schedule to conclude in 2015.
Though each made brief statements at the time they departed the meeting, Scarborough released a statement and asked the Baptist Message to print it in its entirety.
Space considerations will prevent Scarborough’s statement from being printed in its entirety; however, the full statement may be accessed at www.baptistmessage.com.
A portion of Scarborough’s statement reads as follows:
“The reason that I resigned today was that the board does not need to be fractured any longer.
“Regardless of my opinions on the situation, I knew that my presence would not foster board solidarity. Now, with three more ‘dissenting trustees’ out of the way, the board can move forward with its agenda to resolve the issues that face LC in any manner they choose and practically without opposition.
‘My prayer is that God will save my alma mater in spite of the flawed human decisions that I and others have made, and that we all will pray what the psalmist cried out to God in Psalm 138:8 ‘… forsake not the works of Your own hands.’”
At some point following the meeting Michael Moore, a businessman from Shreveport, resigned via an email to the Chairman of the Board as did Ryan Gregory, trustee from Oak Grove.
Moore and Gregory provided the Message with copies of their letters by email. The letters may be viewed in their entirety at www.baptistmessage.com.
Moore, began his letter, dated Sept. 17, as follows:
“Regrettably, and upon prayerful consideration, it is with a broken heart that I resign as trustee of Louisiana College. Much like Paul separating from Barnabas in Galatians 2, I used the qualification in verse 14: “But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel…” It has become clear to me in recent years that both the board and the administration is [sic] no longer “straightforward about the truth of the gospel.”
Gregory, who was not present at the recent meeting, submitted his resignation on Sept. 17, according to the date on the letter. In part, he wrote:
“With much prayer and careful thought, it is with a heavy heart that I resign as trustee of Louisiana College. As a trustee of Louisiana College, it was clear what was expected and what our primary responsibility was. First and foremost, we were expected to enforce the policies of the Louisiana College Bylaws and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College Principles and Standards. Unfortunately, the administration and a certain faction of the trustees have lost sight of this particular aspect and it has come with consequences to not only the board but our college.”
Moore’s term was to expire in 2015 and Gregory’s in 2016.
Adkins spoke to the Town Talk, Alexandria’s Daily newspaper, after leaving the trustees’ meeting.
“When given the choice between the status quo and making changes suggested by SACs, this board chose the status quo, and I am disgusted by it,” Adkins told the publication.