Independent Investigation FAQs
The loss of Lincoln University’s Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey, earlier this year is a tragedy that will stay with our school forever. Lincoln University's Board of Curators engaged an independent third-party expert to fully review potential personnel issues and concerns raised around this tragedy. That review has now been completed (click HERE for a redacted summary of its findings) and below are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding the investigation:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Immediately following the loss of Dr. Candia-Bailey, the Board of Curators engaged an independent third-party expert to review concerns raised by Dr. Candia-Bailey.
- The Board solicited proposals from five independent firms and ultimately selected Lewis Rice – a widely respected law firm specializing in personnel matters at colleges and universities.
- The firm was founded in 1909 and has more than 150 lawyers and offices in three states. Lewis Rice is a leading Midwest law firm with a national client base.
- Lewis Rice’s Higher Education Practice Group has advised numerous colleges and universities, including many well-known institutions in the Midwest and throughout the country. This work has included high-profile investigations into potential violations of employment law by higher education personnel, including top university officials.
- The firm’s legal team was led by attorneys:
- Ronald A. Norwood, himself a member and past Chair of Harris-Stowe State University, also an HBCU, and
- Jerina D. Phillips, who maintains a nationwide litigation practice with a focus on employment-related matters.
- Read more about Lewis Rice HERE.
Lewis Rice reviewed thousands of pages of documents including email exchanges (pulled using targeted searches directed by Lewis Rice), text messages, internal University policies and memos and associated documentation. The firm also conducted dozens of hours of interviews with 24 individuals over the course of two weeks: 19 were members of the Lincoln University leadership team, including all who were present for routine leadership meetings with President Moseley, as wel l as others with the closest working relationships with Dr. Bailey and Dr. Moseley. Five were members of the Board of Curators.
- January 18 – Lewis Rice was hired to conduct the investigation.
- March 8 - Lewis Rice delivered the results of the investigation to the Board of Curators at an in-person meeting. The meeting included a robust question and answer session between the Board and Lewis Rice.
- March 14 – The firm’s final written report was submitted to the Board.
- March 15 – The Board voted to bring President Moseley back from administrative leave.
- March 21 – The Board announced its decision to bring Dr. Moseley back from administrative leave.
- The Board of Curators has publicly released a redacted copy of the independent investigators’ report’s executive summary.
- Because of the nature of some of Dr. Candia-Bailey's personal and medical information detailed in the Lewis Rice report, the Board has requested guidance and a formal Attorney General Opinion from the Missouri Attorney General's office as to whether the full report qualifies as an open record and should be made available under the Missouri Sunshine Law.
- The entire report will be made available if the Attorney General opines that it is a public record.
- Yes, the Board reached out to Dr. Candia-Bailey’s family before the public announcement
- ADA: The independent third-party investigation found that Lincoln University responded appropriately to requests for accommodation by, among other things, allowing Candia-Bailey to work remotely and use accrued leave.
- FMLA: The investigators found that Dr. Candia-Bailey was not eligible for leave under the FMLA as she had been employed for less than one year.
- Lewis Rice conducted dozens of hours of interviews and reviewed thousands of emails in performing its investigation. Their findings:
- There was no evidence of any instances of bullying by President Moseley, either in his written or verbal communications.
- None of the witnesses interpreted Dr. Moseley’s style of communication as bullying; all stated that they had never personally felt bullied or harassed by President Moseley.
- Based on this report, the Board of Curators has determined that President Moseley has not, and does not, engage in bullying of Lincoln University employees.
- As part of our effort to ensure mental and behavioral health support for Lincoln’s students and employees, we have launched a new Healthier LU Initiative – an effort that has two main prongs:
- An Employee Wellness Program, which will include employee health risk assessments aimed at earlier diagnoses of employees’ health needs
- A Student Wellness Program to boost support for our student population in which students will:
- Find ways in which they can cope and adjust to situations and challenges they may confront during their experience at Lincoln University.
- Learn how to incorporate healthy eating habits and an exercise routine during their daily schedules.
- Find ways to enhance their spiritual and emotional wellness through suggested and designed opportunities for meditation, prayer or any other spiritual or emotional wellness activity.
- The University has also partnered with several local and national organizations to serve more specific populations such as the Black Emotional + Mental Health Collective, the Steve Fund Text line (for young people of color). We plan to continue partnering with leading local and national organizations as we build out these new services. This comes in addition to our offering three licensed counselors on staff – and beginning earlier this month, additional counseling by Compass Health.