‘A painful and shameful moment’: FMU Board members say vote for new President was illegal

An announcement that Florida Memorial University ( FMU ) Board of Trustees had elected a new President has ignited a bitter leadership dispute among its members, with nearly half declaring the vote “illegal” and asking a court to intervene.

FMU, a historically Black university, published a press release Thursday naming William McCormick, who had been serving as its interim President since mid-2024, as its permanent leader.

But within hours, a letter signed by seven trustees and the President of the FMU National Alumni Association cried foul, calling the move a “coup” carried out without proper notice or authority.

(Florida Memorial University)

“Let me be absolutely clear: this presidency was obtained illegally,” the letter said.

Interim Chair Brandon Dumas, joined by the dis