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17 April 2008
KTRK's Lawson checks in with Priscilla Slade Rehabilitation project
Not even a month since disgraced former TSU president Priscilla Slade copped a plea to avoid prison, her rehabilitation is officially in full swing, beginning with an "exclusive" softball interview with KTRK-13's Melanie Lawson. The text is not available online, but here is the video.
It is not that we were admitting that any criminal acts had taken place.
Rather, she wishes she had communicated better with the regents, because (as she puts it) everything she did was in the interest of Texas Southern University.
Strangely, the "exclusive" interview with Slade also includes a snippet from Slade's attorney blasting Chuck Rosenthal. (It is bizarre that supporters of white-collar criminals like Slade and Jay Aiyer somehow want to blame Chuck Rosenthal and portray these criminals as victims).
However, Slade herself says she forgives Rosenthal. And she hopes to get back into the corporate world or the academic world!
Maybe Slade can even show KTRK-13's "exclusive" uncritical interview to potential employers (and hope they don't deploy the research services of Google.com).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Priscilla Slade Rehabilitation project"> 04/17/08 10:16 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (5)
08 June 2006
TSU officially cans Slade
Yesterday, Texas Southern University made the firing of Priscilla Slade official. The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue, who has owned this story, has the details:
Texas Southern University's governing board made President Priscilla Slade's firing official Wednesday and will soon begin a nationwide search for a replacement.
The unanimous decision came after Slade, whose lavish spending prompted a still-developing criminal investigation, skipped a public hearing she requested to appeal the regents' decision to fire her in April.Attorney Ron Franklin, who represents Slade, called the hearing a "charade" and said his client looks forward to clearing her name through a civil lawsuit she has filed against the school.
Clearing her name, or bilking the school for even more cash?
Most likely, we'd expect Slade and the school to come to some settlement in which the school doesn't ask her to reimburse it for money improperly spent, and Slade drops her legal action.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KPRC-2, KHOU-11, KTRK-13/AP.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade"> 06/08/06 10:09 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (4)
20 June 2006
Fired TSU president honored at Juneteenth event
The Chronicle's Leigh Hopper reports that fired university administrator and alleged thief Priscilla Slade was recognized at a prestigious Jones Hall event on Sunday:
Eleven days after being fired from Texas Southern University for misspending school money, former TSU President Priscilla Slade received a standing ovation and burst into song at a Juneteenth celebration Sunday night at Jones Hall.
"When a person is having problems, that's when you pick her up," state Rep. Al Edwards, told the crowd of about 2,000.Earlier in the evening, he explained the decision to honor Slade for her work on behalf of TSU at the event: "When she took over, that university couldn't do a thing. You recognize folks for what good they've done."
[snip]
The honoring of Slade capped off the event and seemed designed to launch her on a career as a gospel singer. She sang a bit of what one bystander said was a hymn more commonly heard at funerals, My Living Won't Be in Vain.
Some in the audience said Slade deserved the recognition.
"She's in a very high position and she needs to be honored," said Tunisia Wolridge, a Houston resident.
Others seemed perplexed by the choice.
Frank Walker, whose wife took him to the celebration for Father's Day, said he glanced at the program and was surprised to see Slade's name: "When I first looked at it, I said, 'Hmmm.' "
"Hmmm" probably isn't a strong enough reaction, but it's a start.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 06/20/06 09:57 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (11)
01 August 2006
Slade and associates indicted
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue reports that former Texas Southern University president Priscilla Slade and several of her associates have been indicted:
A Harris County grand jury indicted former Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade today on two charges of criminally misusing university money for her private benefit, officials said.
The grand jury's three-month investigation also led to indictments for three former TSU employees, including Quintin Wiggins, who earlier this year resigned as chief financial officer, for their roles in making purchases of furniture, landscaping services and a security system for her private residences.Also indicted were Bruce Wilson, who was senior vice president of administration, and Frederick Holts, the university's senior safety system engineer.
The charges against Slade carry a potential punishment of five years of probation to life in prison, and a fine of as much as $20,000. A judge has set her bail amount at $100,000.
Slade has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has said all of her spending benefited the university.
Tell it to the jury, Queen Priscilla.
RELATED COVERAGE: KTRK-13, KHOU-11.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade and associates indicted"> 08/01/06 11:47 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (7)
29 April 2006
Priscilla Slade goes to the victim card
Priscilla Slade, effectively fired from Texas Southern University for inappropriate use of university funds, is suing the university in an effort to squeeze even more money from the institution.
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue has the details:
Priscilla Slade sued Texas Southern University's governing board Friday, claiming the regents failed to provide a mandatory hearing before effectively firing her as president.
The lawsuit, filed in state district court, accuses the regents of making plans to hire a new president while Slade still holds the job. Attorney Ron Franklin, who represents Slade, said he hopes to win unspecified monetary damages.[snip]
"Her contract requires them to give due process and a hearing, and they have ignored it," Franklin said.
The board [of regents] inquiry, conducted by the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, found that Slade and former Chief Financial Officer Quintin Wiggins failed to follow university policies and state laws, including "long-accepted principles prohibiting the use of public money for private gain," to buy more than $260,000 in furniture, landscaping and security equipment for her house.
A recent university audit also found that Slade spent nearly $650,000 over the past seven years on personal purchases not allowed under her contract.
In the lawsuit, Franklin claimed the audit "was selective, incomplete, misleading and clearly calculated to create an impression of wrongdoing on Dr. Slade's part."
Dr. Slade seems to have done a fine job creating that "impression" all on her own.
Slade's attorney gave KTRK-13 a nice quote, in reference to the hearing that TSU must give Slade before her firing is official:
"If I know before a trial begins that the jurors have already decided everything and are trying to decide whether or not to cut off her head or hang her, why would I go through that scam," said Franklin.
It's quite an upside-down world in which a university official can put someone convicted of bouncing checks in charge of finances, (allegedly) misuse nearly $1 million, AND claim to be a victim of the equivalent of a hanging when terminated for cause!
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Priscilla Slade.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Priscilla Slade goes to the victim card"> 04/29/06 07:14 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (3)
11 September 2007
Slade: To heck with students, so long as I get double points!
The trial of disgraced former TSU president Priscilla Slade is continuing, and the Chronicle's Brian Rogers has an update on Slade's carefree spending of the institution's funds:
Standing in front of a mountain of cardboard boxes filled with crystal, fine china and silverware, the former assistant of ousted TSU President Priscilla Slade testified this afternoon that the school paid almost $40,000 for the 25-person dining set.
She also testified that it was tax-free, because of Texas Southern University's tax-free status.The woman who handled some facets of the finances for the president's office, Erica Vallier, testified that the $39,793.75 bill from Neiman Marcus was paid from funds that were meant for equipment and furniture for the president's office.
Slade is accused of spending more than $500,000 of the cash-strapped university's dollars on personal expenses, including renovations to her house, drapes and bedding.
KRIV-26's Isiah Carey points out that Slade was also earning some serious Neiman Marcus rewards points with her/TSU's purchases:
Prosecutors say Dr. Priscilla Slade took abuse to a new level at Texas Southern University. Assistant District Attorney Donna Goode says Dr. Slade went out and purchased $39,000 in crystal china so that she could earn double points on her Neiman Marcus credit card. It's part of the stores InCircle Friends buying awards program. Goode says Slade purchased the expensive eating ware through TSU and had her staff research if she would be able to claim bonus points on her personal Neiman's card.
It apparently wasn't enough to bilk the university (and the public) with her overly lavish lifestyle, but she had to make sure she got the personal reward points as well? Slade is even more audacious than I originally thought.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade: To heck with students, so long as I get double points!"> 09/11/07 09:40 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (12)
29 August 2006
Priscilla Slade is now teaching accounting...at TSU!
This is one of those stories where all you can do is shake your head and wonder at the sheer stupidity and incompetence that is out there:
Priscilla Slade, the former Texas Southern University president fired for her spending of school money on personal expenses, is teaching accounting courses on campus this semester.
Her return to the classroom comes four weeks after a Harris Country grand jury indicted Slade and three aides for allegedly violating the university's policies and state laws in paying for household furnishings and landscaping, among other things.Although the university's governing board fired Slade in June for her spending as president, she remains a tenured professor in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business, officials said today.
Slade's decision to resume teaching came as surprise to some administrators and faculty members, who assumed she would prefer a lower profile while facing criminal charges.
Noooo! Now why would anyone assume she would lie low while facing criminal charges???
She's probably just a victim of...something and, you know, it's not her fault. Ergo, there's no shame in her teaching accounting at TSU. Why, next thing you know, she'll be teaching ethics classes.
(via the Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue)
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers, Lone Star Times.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ Priscilla Slade is now teaching accounting...at TSU!"> 08/29/06 08:50 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (14)
12 August 2006
Double standard on jury-pool pollution?
Yesterday, the Chronicle ran what was effectively a press release from Mike DeGuerin, the attorney for former TSU president Priscilla Slade:
The lawyer for fired Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade accused Harris County's district attorney of making "reckless, political and unprofessional" comments about the indicted former official.
"It has the tendency to pollute the jury pool," attorney Mike DeGeurin said Thursday after Slade made her first court appearance since being indicted last week on two felony charges.
DeGeurin said Slade, who is charged with misapplication of fiduciary property, was "elevating TSU where it ought to be" before she was fired in June.
I'm relatively skeptical about claims that such basic comments on cases significantly "pollute" the jury pool, although I understand why some people might believe it.
However, when Mayor White and his wife Andrea (who is an attorney) very publicly suggested that their daughter was improperly arrested for driving under the influence after earlier deciding to try the case in the public sphere, the same Chronicle reporter did not round up a quote from anyone who thought the couple's public comments might pollute the jury pool.
Why treat the two instances differently?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/12/06 04:31 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
13 October 2007
On the Priscilla Slade jury...
Laurence Simon is confused.
So are we.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Priscilla Slade jury..."> 10/13/07 09:17 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (17)
15 March 2006
TSU regents call emergency meeting to discuss Slade (updated)
KPRC-2 reports that an emergency meeting will be held by the regents of Texas Southern University Thursday to discuss the future of President Priscilla Slade:
The Texas Southern University's Board of Regents will hold the emergency meeting at 10 a.m.
Sources told KPRC Local 2 that the board will discuss Slade's employment status with the university and that the majority of the board has lost confidence in her leadership.
Sources told KPRC that regents would likely give Slade notice of termination. The other options include suspension or taking no action.
It was helpful of KPRC to clear up those options for any imbeciles who might have been following the story.
UPDATE (03-16-2006): The Chronicle reports that Slade has been suspended indefinitely:
TSU's board of regents suspended President Priscilla Slade indefinitely tonight after spending 10 hours discussing her questionable use of university money on her new home.
KPRC-2 reports that Slade will take a paid leave during the ongoing investigation, and that the vice president of business (who passed personal hot checks in the past) has been fired:
President Priscilla Slade will take a voluntary, paid leave of absence pending the outcome of the investigation by an independent audit.
[snip]
The regents decided the employment status of TSU vice president of business, Quentin Wiggins. He has been fired after being suspended for authorizing payment of Slade's expenses.
UPDATE (03-17-2006): Today's Chronicle story provides more details.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade (updated)"> 03/15/06 10:55 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 May 2006
A new defense for Priscilla Slade
I'm finally back in town and scouring old news (olds!), and couldn't let this Chronicle story go by without comment:
Two Houston-area lawmakers kicked off a campaign Thursday to pressure the state Legislature to continue sending extra money to Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M universities to offset past discrimination.
State Sen. Rodney Ellis and Rep. Garnet Coleman, both Houston Democrats, said they will file a civil rights complaint if the state doesn't renew the $250 million funding that was given to the historically black universities in 2001.
[snip]
Coleman said the Legislature in 2001 gave TSU and Prairie View $125 million each above their regular budgets. The universities used $100 million each for capital improvements....
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue has done a great job documenting some of former TSU President Priscilla Slade's questionable "capital improvements" to her residence. Maybe she wouldn't have been terminated if she had simply pointed out she spent the $130,000 to remedy the past discrimination against her yard!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Priscilla Slade"> 05/30/06 10:03 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (3)
17 April 2006
TSU calls special meeting to discuss Slade
KPRC-2 reported on Friday that Texas Southern University has set a special meeting for this afternoon to discuss the future of President Priscilla Slade, who compounded her spending scandal by disregarding a request from regents not to talk about the matter:
The board was scheduled to meet May 5. But members may believe that it is time for the university to move forward and make a decision about Slade's future on Monday, the station reported.Before a decision is made, the regents will review an audit conducted by the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm. It is investigating whether Slade used public money to lavishly landscape and furnish her Memorial-area home, as well as make other purchases not allowed on her contract.
Earlier this week, Slade began waging a public campaign to clear her name and reputation. She conducted radio and television interviews.
But it may have backfired because the regents had ordered her to remain silent during the investigation.
Matthew Tresaugue's reporting for the Chronicle over the weekend makes it sound as if the board is ready to make a decision:
"I'm still evaluating the situation, but I want to bring closure to it Monday," Diaz said. "The sooner we make a decision, the better off the university will be."
It's difficult to believe that Slade will retain her post much longer.
UPDATE: KHOU-11 just sent out an email blast that Slade has been terminated. The Chronicle, whose Matthew Tresaugue has owned this story, reports the following:
Priscilla Slade's seven-year run as president of the state's largest historically black university headed to an end tonight when Texas Southern University regents voted to fire her on the grounds that she misspent school money.
Slade's contract guarantees her the right to a public hearing before the firing becomes official and her attorney said she plans to request one. The hearing must be scheduled within a month.
If a PR firm advised Slade to go public, she should ask for a refund. Her termination became entirely predictable at that point.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade"> 04/17/06 07:56 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (15)
10 September 2006
TSU removes Slade from classroom
On Friday, the Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue reported that Texas Southern University has decided against allowing disgraced former president Priscilla Slade to teach classes, and has begun the process of attempting to revoke her tenure.
That sounds like a sensible move. Sensible, and a little familiar...
RELATED COVERAGE: AP.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade from classroom"> 09/10/06 11:28 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
13 April 2006
Slade ignores TSU governing board, takes case public
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue, who has done a good job covering Priscilla Slade's spending scandal at TSU, reports that the embattled university president is taking her case to the public:
Priscilla Slade, Texas Southern University's president, is waging a public campaign to defend her integrity, breaking a two-month silence with a series of interviews and an open letter this week before the school's investigation into her spending concludes.
But the strategy puts Slade at odds with TSU's governing board, which ordered her in February to remain mum during the inquiry.
"I almost don't know how to comment," J. Paul Johnson, the board's chairman, said Wednesday. "It was my opinion that we would not try to air this thing in the media."
The nine-member board is scheduled to meet May 5, but Johnson said the regents are considering the possibility of meeting before then to decide Slade's future at the historically black institution.
The lack of institutional control of spending during Slade's tenure -- including her choice of someone once convicted of passing hot checks as her chief financial officer -- should be reason enough to send her packing, but the latest acts of insubordination really leave the board little choice.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers, On Message, Slampo's Place.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade ignores TSU governing board, takes case public"> 04/13/06 09:52 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
25 February 2006
TSU's president comes down with Sudden Mute Syndrome
Today, the Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue continues his solid reporting on financial irregularities in the Texas Southern University president's office:
Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade charged the school more than $94,000 for travel, meals, event tickets and other expenses last year, nearly twice the annual limit allowed under her contract, records show.
Billing statements from Slade's three university-issued credit cards, released to the Houston Chronicle this week under the Texas Public Information Act, did not include all of the costs for airfare to destinations as far away as Beijing and as near as Austin.Whether the travel and entertainment expenses are in conflict with her contract is the latest question about Slade's spending, an issue that has spurred an internal inquiry and questions from local law enforcement officials.
[snip]
Slade declined to comment through a spokeswoman, Winifred King, who cited the university's ongoing investigation for the president's silence. Board chairman J. Paul Johnson also would not comment.
Sudden Mute Syndrome (SMS) seems to be spreading among Houston's public and quasi-public officials of late.
PREVIOUSLY: Just the guy to put in charge of millions of public dollars, Stealing or accounting oversight?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/25/06 02:24 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
19 May 2006
Slade's home searched as part of ongoing investigation
Various media outlets report that police executed a search warrant at the residence of fired Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade today. Here's KPRC-2's account:
A search warrant was executed Friday morning at Texas Southern University president Priscilla Slade's home, KPRC Local 2 reported.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office issued the warrant as part of a grand jury investigation into a spending scandal involving hundreds of thousands of dollars of state money.
Investigators took photographs of the furnishings, landscape and security system. They are also expected to seize documents.
The Memorial-area home was at the center of a scandal that led to the TSU board voting to fire Slade.
Slade is accused of improperly spending $87,000 to furnish her home, $138,000 on landscaping and exterior improvements, and $56,000 on security related equipment and labor.
"They're looking to document any Texas Southern University property. They had the intent to seize her computer, which is a Texas Southern University computer," Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said. "One of our investigators got a call from some people at the university that said some documents in the president's office were being shredded. I can't confirm that."
RELATED COVERAGE: KHOU-11, KTRK-13, Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade's home searched as part of ongoing investigation"> 05/19/06 06:14 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (1)
23 April 2006
The B-Team reports/emotes on Slade
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue has done some excellent work covering Priscilla Slade and her spending scandal at Texas Southern University.
Unfortunately, Tresaugue's name is nowhere to be found on the weekend reporting on the Slade affair, but we have one story that's pretty much a recap of his reporting and two stories heavy on emoting and enabling.
To start off the B-Team reporting, KHOU-11 runs Pam Easton's Associated Press account of the Slade scandal. Here's an excerpt:
Priscilla Slade was one of Texas Southern University’s biggest cheerleaders as its president, nearly doubling enrollment, constructing new academic buildings and overhauling the financial aid system.Slade became a popular and high-profile president during more than six years leading the historically black university — the alma mater of the late U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan and other notables.
But her accomplishments have taken a back seat to scandal.
Slade was fired last week and faces a criminal investigation into her use of state money. She’s accused of improperly spending $87,000 to furnish her home, $138,000 on landscaping and exterior improvements, and $56,000 on security related equipment and labor.
That all seems accurate and familiar. Who knows, maybe Easton even read Tresaugue's reporting, even though it's nowhere acknowledged in the AP story.
The Chronicle posted a story today by David Ellison about "revived anxiety" at TSU:
Texas Southern University regents last week conjured up ghosts of the past.
In voting 8-1 to fire President Priscilla Slade, the board revived bitter memories among alumni and supporters in Houston's black community of the revolving door in the president's office before Slade took over in 1999. The action also invoked a lurking dread: that lawmakers in Austin might try to merge the historically black school with another university system or — worse — shut it down.
"I think the merger issue is coming up, absolutely," warned Minister Robert Muhammad, of the Nation of Islam's southwest region. "It's difficult when you lose your independence. That's about to happen here."
While other officials were quick to dispute that, the reaction shows that anxiety over Slade's departure is clearly about more than money. Even those who support her dismissal — amid allegations of nearly $650,000 in questionable spending — credit Slade with saving the university from financial ruin. Alumni and other supporters fear the loss of momentum for future leadership.
"Without her leadership, I'm not really sure what the future holds for Texas Southern," said Keith Scott, a member of the TSU Alumni Austin Chapter. "Her leadership was very important and very crucial."
Here's a novel thought for Mr. Ellison (who actually complains in the story that "[a]ttempts to contact alumni who supported the firing ... were unsuccessful"): Instead of interviewing a handful of "important" loudmouths, why not go to the campus and ask as many students as possible what they think of a university president who improperly uses university funds to support a lavish personal lifestyle, rather than making sure those funds support student aid or academics?
The Chronicle's insipid "Sunday Conversation" also makes a return (unfortunately), and it's a conversation between a TSU alum and... David Ellison (busy guy). Here's the introduction:
When Katrina LeVert learned of the firing of Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade last week, the TSU graduate sent an e-mail to the school's alumni affairs office opposing the governing board's decision. LeVert, a legislative and regulatory specialist for a Houston company with a degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich., attended TSU from 1989-1993, before Slade was named president in 1999. A native of Biloxi, Miss., LeVert said she was so impressed with Slade's performance that she became active in the university's alumni association. Chronicle reporter David Ellison spoke with her last week.
The next time you don't like something that happens in the city of Houston -- like a white-collar thief being terminated for cause -- perhaps you should email Mr. Ellison (david.ellison@chron.com) and let him know about it. Maybe you too can take part in a Sunday Conversation with the local Hearst daily! I'd suggest keeping it pithy, as Bill O'Reilly says.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ Slade"> 04/23/06 10:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
25 November 2007
2007 Turkeys of the Year
The Houston Press had lots of candidates for its Turkeys of the Year this time around -- METRO, Michael "Babe Pages" Berry, Priscilla Slade, the rodeo, carpetbagger City Council candidates, and more.
Click here to find out who won the awards this time around.
Congratulations (is that the right word?) to all the deserving winners!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/25/07 09:50 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
02 February 2006
Stealing or accounting oversight?
Last week, reports surfaced that officials at Texas Southern University here in town are investigating the use of funds by the institution's president on her private residence (some people might call that use of funds "stealing").
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue follows up on the story today:
Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade has reimbursed the university more than $138,000 for the cost of landscaping her new home, according to records released Wednesday.
Slade, who wrote the check Monday, is hoping to get back into the good graces of the university's board of regents before they meet Friday to discuss her future. She is also under scrutiny for charging roughly $87,000 to TSU for household furnishings, according to a source familiar with the inquiry.
So, it's possible that she used over $200,000 of university (really, taxpayers') funds for personal expenditures (again, people more judgmental than this humble scribe might be inclined to call that use of funds "stealing"). The story indicates that an investigation is ongoing. The matter is complicated by the fact that TSU does not provide an official residence for its president, and thus Dr. Slade's private residence is frequently used for university business.
Tom Kirkendall noted the following irony in the story:
Slade, 54, who earned a doctorate in accounting from UT-Austin, has received high marks during her tenure as president of the university.
A doctorate in accounting? You would think Dr. Slade of all people would be diligent about not using public funds for private purposes (again, some people might call that "stealing").
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/02/06 10:32 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
10 March 2007
Score one for KPRC-2
Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams has placed his home, which was once owned by disgraced TSU administrator Priscilla Slade and figured prominently in the spending scandal that led to her ouster, up for sale.
That's not especially interesting news, but we were amused with the conclusion of the story posted on KPRC-2's website:
Among the amenities listed is "lush landscaping".
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 03/10/07 02:24 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
22 December 2006
Meet the TSU 3
Thanks to a blogHOUSTON reader for forwarding this amazing, in-depth story from Diverse Education magazine about the maddening saga of TSU and Priscilla Slade.
Did you know that three TSU students did most of the work, unearthing details of (alleged) payoffs, (alleged) conflicts of interest, and (alleged) corruption? I didn't. They also paid a heavy price for their investigative efforts, and subsequent insistence on accountability and change.
It's unclear if any local media was ever contacted by the three students with this story; if they were and chose not to look into it, shame on them. This is a prime example of where a watchdog media was needed.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/22/06 06:14 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (10)
13 March 2006
DA's office investigating TSU spending scandal
The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue continues to keep an eye on the spending scandal at Texas Southern University. Last week, he reported:
While Texas Southern University's inquiry into the personal expenses of President Priscilla Slade nears an end, local prosecutors are questioning board members about Slade's use of school money on her private residence.
This week, William E. King became the third TSU regent to meet with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, following board Chairman J. Paul Johnson and George Williams.
Slade, meanwhile, explained her spending for the first time to Bracewell & Giuliani, the law firm conducting the university's investigation into her expenses.
The concurrent inquiries could determine if Slade keeps the job she has held for seven years or faces criminal charges.
The board of regents may meet as soon as next week to discuss their investigation's results and decide how to proceed with Slade, while the criminal investigation could take several months.
[snip]
The nine-member board, which is made up of lawyers, executives and religious and financial leaders, curtailed Slade's spending authority on an unanimous vote last month, pending Bracewell & Giuliani's investigation.
The regents also suspended Quintin F. Wiggins, the chief financial officer, who is under prosecutors' scrutiny. Records show Wiggins has been convicted nine times on misdemeanor charges of writing bad checks. The job application he filed with TSU only asked about felony convictions.
In a truly just world, a university president would be dismissed simply for employing a chief financial officer with a record of passing hot checks. But academia is not the real world, so the chief financial officer will probably be reinstated with back pay once the controversy dies down.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 03/13/06 10:22 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
19 February 2006
Just the guy to put in charge of millions of public dollars
The Chronicle runs a long profile of Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade today. Slade recently came under fire when significant expenses related to her private residence were improperly charged to Texas Southern.
Matthew Tresaugue's profile contains this interesting tidbit:
[Slade's] personnel decisions are under scrutiny after the regents placed the university's chief financial officer, Quintin Wiggins, on paid leave earlier this month, pending the completion of the investigation.
Wiggins, 45, was in charge of the university's day-to-day business affairs despite a criminal record that includes nine convictions for writing worthless checks from 1984 to 1993 and a three-day jail sentence for impersonating a public servant in 1988.
"Those are the kinds of cases that raise questions, even if they don't seem that serious," said David Diaz, a regent and TSU-trained attorney from Corpus Christi.
Diaz also said Wiggins should have been more vigilant before paying Slade's $138,159 home-landscaping bill with university funds. Slade said she hired a landscaping company that does frequent work on campus, and it inadvertently sent the bill to TSU. She reimbursed the university after regents questioned the expenditure.
Wiggins, who declined an interview request, told regents he did not realize the bill was for Slade's private property.
"I don't think you should sign a check just because it's put in front of you," Diaz said. "As CFO, he needs to be more discriminating."
Wiggins wasn't giving financial advice to the Mayor Pro Tem's office on the side, was he?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/19/06 10:47 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (3)
05 April 2006
Lifestyles of the rich and academic
The Chronicle's Matt Tresaugue, who has done an excellent job covering the spending scandal involving TSU president Priscilla Slade, checks in today with some additional details on Slade's spending obtained via public information requests:
Slade's supporters have said many of her expenses are justified because of her responsibilities as TSU's chief ambassador. They also point out that she has helped the university raise $37 million from donors over the past five years and boosted the school's profile.
Her expenses in 2005 include new furniture for her home and office, season tickets for the Houston Rockets and Houston Texans and at least seven trips to the Houstonian Club's spa.
TSU also spent more than $20,000 for Slade's airfare to destinations as far away as Beijing and as near as College Station and renewed her membership in Continental Airlines' Presidents Club, which costs $250 a year.The perks were in addition to her cash compensation, including housing and car allowances, of roughly $310,000 last year.
[snip]
Slade's spending came under scrutiny in January after regents learned she charged TSU $86,467 to furnish a spacious, Spanish-style house on the corner of Memorial and Terrace drives. She reimbursed the university $138,159 for the cost of landscaping her private home after regents questioned the expense. Slade has said she never expected TSU to pay that bill.
Slade purchased a $9,169 sleigh bed for the master bedroom, a $2,891 bed for a guest room, $9,118 worth of artwork for the living room and a $17,807 four-piece sofa for the family room, records show.
She did not seek approval for the furniture from the board, which is generally asked to approve contracts of more than $100,000. TSU purchased furniture for her two immediate predecessors after selling the university-owned president's house in the mid-1990s because the job requires entertaining donors at home.
The university also paid her moving costs from an apartment to another in November and then to the newly constructed house in December. The two bills totaled $9,483.
Slade's contract allows up to $50,000 annually for travel, entertainment and other expenses related to university business. The expenses "shall be reasonable" and are subject to the approval of the university's board chairman, according to the terms of the contract.
Slade spent more than twice the limit in 2005, according to records.
Her contract allows Slade to join "a health and/or dining club" of her choice, and TSU spent more than $20,000 on her membership dues and incidentals at the Houstonian Club and Spa and the Houston Club, a private dining club downtown.
In addition to the Houstonian's annual dues of $5,738, Slade charged $1,280 for golf lessons and 47 Pilates exercise sessions at a cost between $55 and $65 each to the university. She also spent $2,316 at the club's Trellis Spa.
On purchase orders, university officials justified the expenses as necessary "for building university relationships" and "for stress release/relaxation" related to Slade's role as president.
Slade also used her expense account to buy nearly $800 worth of gift baskets for regents, in most cases as birthday presents. And she spent $4,884 at Neiman Marcus on candles, perfume and neckties as Christmas gifts for employees.
Unfortunately, these expenses don't seem that extravagant for a president of a major university. It would be most informative for readers if the Chronicle would request similar expense information for Slade's equivalents at other state universities. The public would undoubtedly be shocked at the posh lifestyle that they provide for university officials.
That's not to excuse President Slade's (alleged) thievery, though. Academic administrators lead such posh, pampered lives that (alleged) thievery just seems wholly impolite.
RELATED COVERAGE: KPRC-2, KHOU-11,
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/05/06 11:12 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
29 November 2006
Checking in with TSU
Former President Priscilla Slade's grand jury testimony won't be unsealed so Slade's former assistant can review it for inconsistencies, although the testimony will be available for a grand jury review.
TSU has a new interim president -- retired Air Force Brigadier General James T. Boddie Jr. The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue has more:
James Timothy Boddie Jr., who once led NASA's Aircraft Management Office, will assume the top job at the nation's second-largest historically black university upon finalizing an employment contract, officials said.
The regents turned to Boddie, 75, after firing Priscilla Slade in June on the grounds that she misspent $286,000 of the school's money to furnish and landscape her house. Slade and three former aides now face criminal charges.
"Right now TSU needs someone who is rigid, and he fit the bill," board Chairman J. Paul Johnson said.
And then there's the matter of TSU's head tennis coach, who is accused of stealing scholarship money and more (via KHOU-11):
“The only thing I know is that I’m here without money and with an apartment to pay and he won’t care,” said Roxana Martinez a TSU tennis player.
He is Alberto Rojo Jimenez, head tennis coach at TSU.
He also teaches classes at a private club.
“He said I was going to be living in apartments that I shouldn’t be worried about anything he was going to give me clothes, and shoes and rackets and everything,” said Martinez.
Everything a student could ask for except that never happened.
The players who were recruited from countries like Poland, Mexico and Egypt, accuse Rojo Jimenez of taking part of their scholarship money.
“I was evicted because he owes rent for a whole month,” said Christopher Gloc.
Gloc came all the way from Venezuela.
He said his coach not only took his scholarship check but asked him for more money so he reluctantly gave him a credit card. “There was 2000 dollars paid towards the university.”
Yet there’s no record the university ever received that money.
There’s another $500 to an auto repair shop but Gloc doesn’t even own a car.
TSU tells KHOU it's investigating the situation. A retired brigadier general could be just what TSU needs!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/29/06 02:16 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
30 April 2006
Lifestyles of the rich and academic (cont'd)
In a post on some recent reporting by Matthew Tresaugue on Priscilla Slade's expenses at Texas Southern University, we wrote:
It would be most informative for readers if the Chronicle would request similar expense information for Slade's equivalents at other state universities.
Today, Tresaugue delivers on that request. Here's an excerpt:
Documents show that Slade traveled the world, furnished her million-dollar home, employed a full-time maid, bought rounds of drinks and learned to play golf at the school's expense.
She defends much of the spending as legitimate and necessary as chief advocate and fundraiser for the 11,600-student university.
But a Houston Chronicle analysis of 2005 financial records from 26 public university presidents shows that Slade's spending generally exceeded that of her peers. Her expenditures at TSU, a historically black university, revealed few, if any, examples of the penny-pinching displayed by many of her colleagues.
Out of all the presidents in Austin on the eve of the appropriations hearing in February 2005, only Slade spent more than $200 on her room. Her room service and bar tabs added $76.80 to the Four Seasons bill.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas-Pan American's president, Blandina Cardenas, stayed at the Red Lion in an $80-a-night room.
"What we have is a sense of entitlement with some presidents and chancellors," said Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education in San Jose, Calif. "There is a belief that they ought to live like the people in the highest income brackets. Part of this is because we expect them to raise money. But we're forgetting this is a public service."
The story is worth reading in its entirety.
(hat tip to Laurence Simon for the heads up on the reporting)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/30/06 11:16 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
04 September 2006
Another Bill angling to run for mayor (in 2009)?
The Chronicle runs a story by Kristen Mack on Bill King, the former mayor of Kemah, who is hinting that he wants to run for mayor of Houston in 2009:
Meet Bill King.
If the name sounds familiar but you can't quite place it, here are some reminders: He has made dire predictions of hurricane devastation and has become a top advocate of preparedness. And he's weathered political storms as part of the Texas Southern University board that ousted President Priscilla Slade.He was mayor of Kemah for four years.
Now he wants to be mayor of Houston.
No, he doesn't plan to challenge Mayor Bill White — who can run one more time under city term limits. King is looking past White to the 2009 election.
Even if it's early to talk about an election three years away, King, 54, an ambitious lawyer, lobbyist and civic leader, wants to be in whatever conversation there is.
The ubiquitous Bob Stein makes an appearance in the story. It's apparently very hard for local journalists to find anyone else who might have an opinion on Houston politics or bicycling. Maybe the oft-quoted Houston bicyclist should run for Mayor in 2009 also!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/04/06 12:36 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
05 August 2007
Editorial LiveJournalists tackle higher ed: Part one
Last week, the Chronicle posted two stories by Matthew Tresaugue reporting that Texas Southern's board of regents was agitating to replace current interim president General J. Timothy Boddie with another interim president drawn from the board of regents.
Oddly, no substantive reason for the proposed change was forthcoming in either story. Rather, the stories just offered praise of General Boddie accompanied by vague assertions that another interim president would do a better job.
Here are the purported reasons for change in the first story:
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat, praised Boddie for getting "the tools" the university needs to move forward but said someone else should finish the job.
"The baton needs to be passed," said Coleman, whose district includes the campus. "This is a different stage, and there is a need for someone to prepare the way for a permanent president."
The next interim president, he said, must hire a strong chief academic officer, restore the confidence of students and their parents, and dig the university out of a financial hole created by the unauthorized construction of two new parking garages.
Actually, an informed and involved board of regents (NOT the interim president) should make that hiring decision and provide guidance. That's how university governance usually works.
"General Boddie restored some credibility, but we need a different set of skills now," Bledsoe said. "We need to give the new (permanent) president every chance to excel, and so we have to do some heavy lifting first."
If General Boddie has done a good job restoring credibility, why not let him remain as the interim president while the board of regents conducts a search for a president who meets criteria set by the regents? Again, that's how university governance usually works.
Here is a dissenting view in the same story:
"It's not just unwise, but stupid to trade one interim for another," [Rev. Bill] Lawson said. "It sends a sign of internal conflict. It's best for the university to maintain constancy until a permanent replacement can be found. Right now TSU is very vulnerable."
Boddie's military-style leadership may have rubbed some people the wrong way, Lawson said, but he viewed it as firm.
"General Boddie was brought in to stabilize the school," Lawson said. "He's done that. ... I don't know what else it could be, but politics."
By all accounts, General Boddie has been a fine interim president. If he has somehow failed to fulfill the vision of the board of regents, however, then that should be part of the discussion. Absent that, it just looks like more parochial bickering at TSU, which is exactly what the university does not need.
Tresaugue's second story from last week offers no more enlightenment as to why (some) regents want to push Boddie out:
[Regents chair Glenn] Lewis has praised the performance of Boddie, a retired Air Force brigadier general who has led the chronically troubled university for nine months. But Lewis said a different set of skills may be needed to move the university forward now that Boddie has addressed the immediate problems exposed by the spending scandal that led to the ouster and indictment of former President Priscilla Slade.
Boddie came to campus "in an emergency situation, when the university needed stability," Lewis said. "Now we want to take a few more steps toward a permanent presidency."
How is appointing another interim president (with the learning curve that entails) a step toward a permanent presidency? Wouldn't it be more of a step for the regents to lay out a vision for TSU and its next president, and to put their search for a new leader in high gear, instead of simply booting an interim president they praise and replacing him with one of their own?
From the outside, it looks more of the parochial politicking and bickering that has hurt TSU over the years, as Rev. Lawson suggested in the first story.
Unsurprisingly, the Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists found all of the vague, unsubstantiated assertions about booting General Boddie entirely convincing. From their Saturday editorial on the topic:
Actually, there are several sound reasons for new leadership at this time. The most important is that a change in management could place Texas Southern University on a path toward solutions to its chronic mismanagement and low graduation rate. With its house in order, it could build a reputation that would attract top students and faculty.
People familiar with TSU's problems are careful to point out that no failure on Boddie's part initiated discussion of replacing him. "He did an excellent job in a tough situation," said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, whose district includes the university. "Now it's time to clear the decks and get TSU ready for someone else (to fill the seat permanently)."
[snip]
A search committee developed a list of 12 candidates for the post. Of those, sources say, at least a handful are well-qualified people who might make a good fit for the university's top job. Had TSU not been operating under its cloud of scandal, that pool of qualified candidates undoubtedly would have been larger. Apparently, enough stakeholders believe the candidate pool is too shallow and that it would be better to take time to attract more applicants.
And that's where a new and impressive interim president could make the crucial difference. An effective interim would be a person who, as Coleman put it, could "clear the decks" — of the taint of scandal and the perception that many faculty members and administrators long ago should have been shown the door.
An "effective interim?" It looks as if this one wasn't proofed very carefully. Nor does it seem that the matter at hand was considered very carefully. If General Boddie has done an excellent job on an interim basis, then why does he need to be replaced with another "interim" (as the Editorial LiveJournalists put it), an "interim" who would serve the university best by focusing on his current job as chair of the regents (i.e. crafting the regents' vision for TSU and finding the right permanent president to execute that vision).
If someone can point to any solid reasons that General Boddie shouldn't continue to serve as interim president while a search is conducted for his permanent replacement, it would be great if those became part of the conversation about TSU's future. But the vague assertions from people who want to dump him -- which apparently include the Editorial Board of the area's newspaper of record -- thus far haven't been convincing.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/05/07 02:43 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
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