Two Women Sue Southern University System for Possible Wrongdoing after "Whistle Blowing"

April 3, 2007 07:41 PM CDT

Two women who claim possible wrongdoing by the chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans are going public after blowing the whistle in an anonymous letter in September of last year. The women say Chancellor Victor Ukpolo set in motion a plan to increase enrollment at SUNO by counting non-existent students in non-existent classes. And you're about to read a name in this case you've read before in previous Southern problems. The women are speaking out now, half a year later, because nothing has been done about their claims. The women also say Johnny Anderson, chairman of the Southern University System's board of supervisors, has played a role in keeping the allegations quiet over the months, rather than airing the claims fully before the board.
Reverend Linda Mosley is one of the two whistle blowers and Mrs. Tim Bailey is the other. Both worked at director level in recruitment, admissions, enrollment and student retention at Southern New Orleans. Last year, they sent an anonymous message to university leadership making certain allegations against Chancellor Victor Ukpolo. In a suit they have filed, they accused Ukpolo of setting out to inflate campus enrollment by deceptively registering and reporting students as being enrolled in SUNO's dual enrollment program. The plan would literally involve counting non-existent students in non-existent classrooms to boost numbers. Mrs. Bailey alleges, "The chancellor insisted in several meetings that we admit every student that applied, regardless of whether or not the student met the requirements."
Bailey says she learned later the names on many of the student applications that were admitted were then used to enroll the students into the dual enrollment program. And she claims that in hundreds of cases, there were only names. No students, no classes. The allegedly bogus enrollment numbers also increased funding to the school. Southern board of supervisors chairman Johnny Anderson is also named in the suit, which alleges he knew of the whistleblower allegations, but failed to inform the full board of supervisors of possible fraudulent acts. Anderson told us he's not aware of the lawsuit and that he's now waiting on results of a Southern System audit he called for to be presented to the board. SUNO chancellor Victor Ukpolo declined an interview, but gave us a statement regarding the whistleblower claims. It states, "I absolutely deny what they are claiming. It is not true." Ukpolo also referred to the two ladies as disgruntled employees. He said one of them had asked for a raise, which he had denied. Bailey and Mosley say that once they came forward as the whistleblowers, things changed. Reverend Mosley says, "As soon as it was learned that we were the individuals that reported it, my life, Mrs. Bailey's life, Mr. Thomas's life, our lives changed dramatically. Everything that could be done to us by officials of Southern University has been done."
A possible motive for pumping up the numbers would be increased funding for SUNO, plus higher enrollment would show goals are being met. Meanwhile, both women's positions have been abolished. They were offered demotions with a hefty cut in pay or dismissal. Reverend Mosley has refused to take the cut and her employment remains in question. Mrs. Bailey says she took the cut under duress. Both women are awaiting their day in court for a civil ruling on what they say has been a violation of their rights as whistleblowers.

Reporter: Paul Gates, WAFB 9NEWS