Lambuth Files Suit in Accreditation Fight
A federal judge’s ruling is the only thing that kept Lambuth University from closing its doors last week. That is the startling revelation in new court papers filed in federal court in Atlanta. Last week we told you Lambuth was granted a preliminary injunction in federal court. That will allow the school to keep its accreditation as it fights The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ decision through a lawsuit. We obtained new court filings Wednesday, and they show how close the University came to closing if the injunction had been denied. Up until now, we never really heard any school leaders admit that without this federal injunction, allowing the school to keep its accreditation and eligibility to receive financial aid, Lambuth would have been forced to close immediately. That is what President Bill Seymour said in the papers filed Tuesday in federal court in Atlanta. Seymour’s eight page affidavit also provided a glimpse at just how the questions over accreditation are impacting the schools bottom line. Now according to court papers, before the school lost accreditation, acceptances for this semester were up 225 percent over last year. However, since they lost accreditation in December, 59 students withdrew, resulting in a loss of more than $575,00.00 It also says eight prospective student chose not to enroll this semester, resulting in another loss of about $78,000.00 And, lastly, the affidavit shows the loss of accreditation caused one education investment group to withdraw a letter of intent, that could have resulted in a $14 million infusion. Now, since these findings, some community members are asking for a miracle. Mary Boykin, a LANA Resident, says, “I think they should keep it rolling and I wish other people would come in and help talk behind me. Since I’ve been in the neighborhood the school has been economical and very quiet. They don’t bother anybody, they just try to get an education on their own, and with that education it could take you a long way.” One other interesting part of Seymour’s affidavit, the Lambuth president says he has talked to some of the schools long-standing donors and they have said they withdrew their financial support of the school because of the accreditation issues. The final say will come when the schools lawsuit against SACS is heard by a federal judge, but until then, Lambuth will remain accredited under the federal injunction.
