Slaughter leaves SU post

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jul 1, 2009 - Page: 1B

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Ralph Slaughter is officially out of office today after serving as president of the Southern University System for more than three years.

He even took the office furniture with him. Slaughter said he paid for the items personally.

But Slaughter and his attorney, Jill Craft, will keep on dealing with Southern through two pending lawsuits against the Southern Board of Supervisors and some of its current and former board members.

“At this juncture, the litigation is going to proceed in court,” Craft said Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate the parties were unable to work out their differences, and unfortunate for the Southern community.”

Slaughter, who could retire, said he plans to spend time with his family and travel before making his next career move.

“I tried to give it my best,” Slaughter said Tuesday. “I’m at peace with where it stands. The litigation is there, and we’ll have to deal with it.”

Starting today, the reins are being handed to Kassie Freeman as interim Southern president. Freeman came to Southern in 2007 as the system vice president for academic and student affairs.

“She’s got a big task ahead of her, and I’m sure she’s going to give it her best,” Slaughter said of implementing $10.6 million in budget cuts, about an 11.5 percent reduction of Southern’s state funding.

As for the office furniture, Southern Board of Supervisors member Pat Magee said the board is looking into who owns it and will act accordingly.

The board voted March 27 to remove Slaughter from office when his two-year contract expired Tuesday. That contract was the result of his previous whistle-blower litigation against the Southern Board.

Slaughter’s two remaining lawsuits — in district and federal court — allege current and former board members orchestrated a plan to oust him from office while violating his civil rights and obstructing justice.

Apart from the Southern Board as a whole, Slaughter’s litigation specifically targets Chairman Tony Clayton, Vice Chairwoman Lea Montgomery and former board members Johnny Anderson and Dale Atkins.

Slaughter dismissed with prejudice a third lawsuit last week, which claimed the Southern board violated open meetings laws.