http://www.cdispatch.com/articles/2007/06/05/local_news/local01.txt

Meredith says alums wanted Limbert out as president

By John Mott Coffey
Dispatch Capitol Bureau
jcoffey523@aol.com
Tuesday, June 5, 2007 12:01 PM CDT

The legal fight between Mississippi University for Women President Claudia Limbert and a group of alumni resumed today with Dr. Thomas Meredith, commissioner of higher education for the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning, taking the stand in Lowndes County Chancery Court....

...In testimony today, Meredith recalled meeting with about 15 members of the old Alumnae Association in January of 2006.

"Most of the conversation focused on the former vice president of institutional advancement," he said, referring to Scott Rawles. "They kept talking about the fact there was misuse of money, sexual harassment charges and so forth.

"But he was gone," Meredith continued. "A group of alums had asked for his removal and he was gone. My response to them was, But he is gone, so let's move on to another topic.'"

He added the alumni also were "concerned about Dr. Limbert personally," especially her "demeanor."

"(They were concerned) she wasn't as presidential for The W as they would like her to be," he said. "(They said) the fact she didn't work the crowd as much as they would like her to do (and) didn't drive and walked a lot of places, that was not befitting a president.

"They did not want her to be president anymore; they wanted her to leave," he added, noting they "wanted Ricky Garrett," the head of the Mississippi Nurses Association and a former IHL Board member, as the new president.

Meredith said he told the group he "couldn't see any reason not to recommend renewal" of Limbert's four-year contract....