A former Florida A&M official has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the school accusing the university of forcing her to resign after she questioned troubling financial deficits within the athletics department.
As first reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, Wanda Ford said she was forced to step down last June by FAMU President Larry Robinson, what she said, was “retaliation for her revealing the athletics department’s recurring cash deficits.”
The lawsuit, filed in Leon County Circuit Civil Court, is based on circumstances involving the school’s 2017-18 financial statements.
The complaint, which names Robinson, ex-university controller Tiffany Holmes and former director of university budgets Ronica Mathis.
Wanda Ford was vice president for finance and administration and CFO at Florida A&M during which an audit found $2.7 million inappropriately used by Florida A&M for athletics FAMU president dating back to 2013. The school later fired two finance officials as a result of the findings.
While preparing the 2017-18 financial statements, yet another cash deficit was discovered, which Holmes reported to Ford, who revealed the finding to Board of Trustees chairman Kelvin Lawson, Robinson and the athletics department, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
Ford was then reportedly blamed for allowing the deficits. Before Ford’s resignation, Robinson allegedly said he would demote her, according to the lawsuit.
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