Dr. Antoinette Bonnie Candia Bailey was the vice president of Student Affairs at Lincoln University in Missouri whose tragic death has sparked calls for the university’s president, Dr. John Moseley, to resign.
Moseley is now on paid administrative leave while a review is conducted, according to a statement from the university.
“Lincoln University’s Board of Curators plans to engage a third-party expert to fully review potential personnel issues and concerns recently raised regarding compliance with the University’s established policies and procedures. As part of that process, Dr. John B. Moseley has volunteered to be placed on paid, administrative leave while that review is conducted,” it reads.
In 2023, the university announced that Candia Bailey had been named vice president of Student Affairs. According to the university’s press release, she was a 1998 graduate of Lincoln University.
KRG-TV reported that Candia Bailey’s cause of death was suicide; emails emerged in which she accused Moseley of causing her “enough harm and mental damage,” the television station reported.
According to the Charlotte Observer, and a statement posted to Facebook by a Lincoln University Alumni Association, some alumni and students have called on Moseley to step down.
The university confirmed Candia Bailey’s death in a January 11, 2023, statement. “The Lincoln University community is mourning the loss of beloved alum and leader Dr. Antoinette ‘Bonnie’ Candia-Bailey,” the statement reads. “Dr. Bailey passed away earlier this week. She was a gifted colleague and always a passionate advocate for Lincoln University, HBCUs and other causes in which she believed.”
The statement continued: “Dr. Bailey had many friends in the Lincoln University community. As a Blue Tiger community, we grieve with them and send our deepest condolences to Dr. Bailey’s family.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. In Emails, Antoinette Bonnie Candia Bailey Wrote That She Was ‘Intentionally Harassed & Bullied,’ Reports Say
Facebook (Antoinette Candia Bailey)Antoinette Candia Bailey.
Friends told KRG-TV that Candia Bailey changed after taking the vice president’s post. “I was literally just with her at homecoming and she was like ‘I’m just trying to make it through,’” Shaunice Hill, her friend, told the television station. “Her whole demeanor had changed. Yes, she was still smiling, but you could tell that something was off – something was different.”
According to the television station, emails written by Candia Bailey indicated that she wrote Moseley and the Board of Curators for the universisty asking for leave through the Family and Medical Leave and Americans with Disabilities Acts.
KRG-TV reported that she complained about her treatment to the Board, but received a response from the Board President that read, “Please be advised the Board of Curators does not engage in the management of personnel issues for Lincoln University and will not be taking further action related to this issue.”
In the emails, she alleged that she was “intentionally harassed and bullied” and was ignored when she asked for help “after receiving a poor evaluation,” KRG-TV reported.
According to KOMU-TV, “In her email, Candia Bailey alleged that Moseley harassed her, was controlling, unsupportive and a bully, among other claims.”
2. The President of an Alumni Association Wants the University’s President to Resign
LIncoln Alumni AssociationLetter about the death of Antoinette Candia Bailey.
Sherman Bonds, the president of the Lincoln University National Alumni Association, wrote Victor Pasley, president of the Lincoln University Board of Curators, on January 9.
“It is my firm belief that our beloved institution is heavy-laden with despair, discontent and disappointment regarding the loss of the previous life of Dr. Antoinette ‘Bonnie’ Candia-Bailey,” he wrote.
He added, “I find myself standing in the state of hopelessness.”
“The university’s institutional care has been breached,” Bonds wrote. “The present administration has become a liability to the mission and health of the institution.”
He wrote that he was “compelled to demand a change in the Office of the Presidency of the University effective immediately.”
“The most significant element of healing is a platform where we can all meet and release our anxieties for the good of our beloved alma mater,” he wrote.
Others have also expressed support for Candia Bailey.
“Rallying for justice and change! Dr. Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey’s tragic loss to suicide calls us to action. Join us in solidarity with Lincoln University of Missouri to demand accountability and stand against the silence surrounding mental health and bullying. Let our collective voice be heard—use #FireMoseley. Together, we can spark a movement for a safer and more compassionate world, 💙” an Instagram post reads.
3. Dr. Antoinette Bonnie Candia Bailey Was a Chicago Native Who ‘Worked in Higher Education for 23 Years’
Facebook (Antoinette Candia Bailey)Antoinette Candia Bailey.
In its press release announcing her appointment, Lincoln University wrote in April 2023: “A longtime advocate and supporter of HBCUs, Candia-Bailey says she is excited to return to LU to give back and enhance the student experience.”
“Lincoln University believed in me and provided numerous opportunities,” the university quoted her as saying. “I’m where I’m at today because of the opportunities afforded at LU.”
“A native of Chicago, Candia-Bailey has worked in higher education for 23 years. In her previous role, she was vice president of student affairs, chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts,” the university bio read.
“She has also served as associate dean of students and senior project coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, assistant vice president of student affairs-housing and residence life at Towson University, director of academic excellence at North Carolina A&T State University and assistant director of university housing at North Carolina State University.”
4. Dr. Antoinette Candia Bailey Described Diversity Work As Being ‘Like a Puzzle,’ Saying She Strived ‘to Help Individuals’
Facebook (Antoinette Candia-Bailey)Antoinette Candia-Bailey.
Candia-Bailey “earned a B.S. in sociology from Lincoln University, an M.A. in rehabilitation counseling-disability studies from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and The Order of Eastern Star,” the university wrote.
“We are excited for Dr. Candia-Bailey to join our team. She brings a wealth of experience to move student affairs and our entire University forward,” LU President Dr. John B. Moseley said in the university’s news release, when her hire was announced. “That division is vital to our students’ collegiate experience beyond the classroom, and I feel certain she is the right leader to guide those efforts.”
“Candia-Bailey also has extensive experience in advocating for social justice and change. She is passionate about examining self-esteem and identity development, particularly in African American women, and enhancing DEI efforts,” the press release said, quoting her as saying, “I believe diversity work is like a puzzle. I strive to help individuals find their pieces in the puzzle.”
5. LU President John Moseley Is a Former Basketball Coach & Athletic Director
LUJohn Moseley
Moseley “has served as the 21st president of Lincoln University since January 2022. In his first eighteen months in the role, Dr. Moseley has led the efforts to jumpstart the momentum toward growth at the University,” his university bio says.
“With enrollment and access among his top priorities, Moseley has led a restructure of the admissions staff to include regional recruiters and implemented the Blue Tiger Advantage Scholarship program, which automatically awards scholarships to qualified students,” it adds.
Moseley “has more than 20 years of higher education experience, including 14 years at Historically Black College or University (HBCU) campuses. He was born and raised in Warren County, North Carolina, and he attended East Carolina University where he earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Education.,” the bio continues. “In the spring of 2021, Moseley completed his Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri.” His wife, Dr. Crystal Moseley, is an assistant professor at the university.
He was previously the university’s head men’s basketball coach and its athletic director, according to a university bio.
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