Petition asks Albion College President to be dismissed for alleged bullying and racism

ALBION, MI – A petition to dismiss Albion College President Matthew Johnson is nearing 1,500 signatures just days before his inauguration.

Organized anonymously, the petition accuses Johnson of harassing staff and students, hiring people of color for superficial reasons, inadequate financial activities, and more. It had collected nearly 1,300 signatures as of Thursday, September 16.

“The people of Albion College and the surrounding Albion community deserve better,” the petition reads. “We deserve better than him. Mathew Johnson must face consequences for his actions and be removed from office. “

Every decision from the president’s office down is made “for the good of Albion College,” said Susie Pentelow, executive director of communications and marketing for the college.

“Although we always hear, appreciate and consider feedback, we and the Board of Trustees stand behind our approach, remain courageous at the top and will continue to keep our campus community at a high level,” she said.

One of the allegations in the petition is that Johnson ignored the harassment of people of color until students began to protest in April. The protest came a week after racist graffiti was found on a stairwell in Mitchell Towers. A 21-year-old black student admitted the graffiti.

Continue reading: Student responsible for racist graffiti found in Albion College dormitory, officials say

The petition also accuses Johnson of racism by hiring a black person for a faculty position just to meet a racist quota.

In addition, the petition claims that Johnson harassed staff and students in order to advance his agenda for college. The “my way or the freeway stance” involves attempting to force members of the Brotherhood to give up their homes and move to an apartment on campus, the petition says.

Other allegations include keeping two goats on campus in violation of Albion City laws, hiring his own construction company to do “unnecessary jobs” on campus, and depriving students of their green parking spaces.

Johnson draws “no financial gain” from the construction agency working on Albion College projects, according to a spokesman for the college. WG Construction Services LLC is being established by the college, the spokesman said.

“The LLC corporate form requires that the college designate officers, including its chief planning officer, to be corporate officers of the LLC,” he said. “You provide the LLC with logistical and business supervision. As president of the college, President Johnson is listed as an officer of the LLC. College officers or employees have no ownership or interest in the company. “

More information about construction at Albion College can be found here.

Albion “is building a bold new vision for our future,” said a college press release announcing Johnson’s inauguration.

“Together we are investing in our people, our infrastructure and our community to make Albion a shining light for the future of humanities education,” the press release said.

Johnson was named President by the Board of Trustees in April 2020. He officially took up his presidency on July 1, 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he could not have an official inauguration until the autumn semester 2021.

The inauguration is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, at 4 p.m. The full calendar of events can be found here.

Read more from The Jackson Citizen Patriot:

Racist graffiti found in the stairwell of Albion College

Relocated vaccine clinics come with a possible price for free Albion College tuition fees

Graduates return a $ 2.25 million donation to Albion College