Trustee:

As a FAMU student/alumni  I humbly request that you disregard Governor Scott's recommendation for the indefinite suspension of Florida A & M University President, Dr. James H. Ammons

As you well know, the university is in the midst of a tumultuous time in light of the recent death of our fellow Rattler, Robert Champion. Though his death remains on the minds and hearts of his Rattler family, there are still many unanswered questions as to the entirety of the circumstances surrounding his passing. With that being said, no disciplinary decisions need to be made by any individuals/collectives until all investigations are complete.

As recently as a little more than a week ago, the board on which you serve voted to publicly reprimand the university president as a consequence of this recent crisis, and this is sufficient action for this present time. For the governor of the state to exert undue influence over the board, i.e. causing members to hold an emergency meeting and redundantly consider suspending the university president, undermines the autonomy of the FAMU Board of Trustees. The Board should operate independently of outside influence and always be working to provide the best Florida A & M University representation possible. This representation demands strong leadership.

Moreover, since strong leadership is vital during this trying time in the university's history, the loss of the president, for even a day, could prove disastrous. Dr. Ammons remains more than capable to lead the university during this time of trouble, and he should be allowed to do so.

Also, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement encouraged the university and its affiliates, which in my mind includes you, to not make any personnel decisions before the conclusion of the investigation, thus his recommendation in regards to the university president seeks to undermine that encouragement.

The students of this university have already displayed their feelings about Governor Rick Scott's recommendation and their protest must be noted. Those students organized and galvanized themselves in less than two hours to speak out against Governor Scott's recommendation, and their collective voice cannot be ignored.

With that being said, once again, I ask that you disregard Governor Scott's recommendation and let the investigation be completed with no further decisions regarding major personnel changes. The university is already confronting serious issues and should not have to also combat administrative upheaval.