Fifteen Democratic state lawmakers wrote a letter defending Tennessee State University and criticizing recent comments made by state Comptroller Jason Mumpower to university leaders.
The letter, dated Dec. 23, called Mumpower’s comments directed at TSU leaders during a Dec. 18 State Building Commission meeting “both unprofessional and inappropriate.” It also said his line of questioning was “aggressive” and lacked respect and understanding of the dire financial situation at hand for the historically Black, public university. It was signed by Reps. Vincent Dixie, Sam McKenzie, Karen Camper, Joe Towns, Larry Miller, Ronnie Glynn, Harold Love, Jess Chism, Yusuf Hakeem, Torrey Harris, Antonio Parkinson and G.A. Hardaway. Sens. Charlane Oliver, London Lamar and Raumesh Akbari also signed the letter.
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Jason Mumpower took office in 2021.
During the meeting, Mumpower pressed TSU Interim President Dwayne Tucker on whether he was committed to severing all ties with former TSU President Glenda Glover. Records obtained by The Tennessean show that Glover was given a $1.7 million, four-year agreement that includes a payout and an ongoing, paid advisory role. That agreement was made as the previous TSU Board of Trustees was ousted by state lawmakers in March after back-to-back audits and years of scrutiny over the school’s finances, management and leadership.
The federal government revealed in 2023 that Tennessee has underfunded TSU by $2.1 billion of the course of 30 years — something the letter also pointed out.
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Board member Dwayne Tucker asks a question during the TSU Board of Trustees meeting at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
Tucker, who was part of the new TSU board appointed in April, spoke before the State Building Commission on his first day as the interim president, following the abrupt resignation of now-former Interim President Ronald Johnson. He assured Mumpower that he is personally committed to breaking ties with Glover, but also said her agreement is now the subject of legal review by Tennessee Attorney General.
Mumpower stated that Glover “made out like a bandit while leaving only a legacy of dysfunction.” The lawmakers took issue with that in their letter, among other things.
“Dr. Glover has been an asset to the university in many ways and has brought national acclaim to the institution,” the letter stated. “During discussions about the future of the university, you seem to go out of your way to disparage and disrespect Dr. Glover. Your attempts to undermine her legacy are unwarranted and unacceptable.”
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The lawmakers also criticized Mumpower for pressing Tucker to sell TSU’s downtown campus and a plot it owns at the John C. Tune Airport near downtown Nashville, pointing to the decades of underfunding.
“The suggestion of selling TSU assets to developers raises serious ethical concerns,” the letter said. “Rather than proposing solutions that could destabilize the university further, we need to focus on supporting TSU, particularly given its long history of underfunding compared to peer institutions such as the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.”
Finally, the letter questioned if Mumpower’s comments were driven by political motivation, saying he appears to “adopt the most aggressive stance possible” when addressing historically Black institutions in Tennessee, including TSU. Prior to taking on the his role as Comptroller of the Treasury in 2021, Mumpower served as a state representative as a Republican.
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“TSU’s challenges require collaboration and equitable support, not condemnation or divisive rhetoric,” the letter said. “The Comptroller is expected to serve all Tennesseans without bias or political motivation, but recent actions by you, intentional or otherwise, could cast doubt about your motives.”
The letter closed by challenging Mumpower to reconsider his approach and join efforts to strengthen TSU.
A spokesperson for Mumpower provided a statement on Wednesday afternoon. He said he stands by the comments he made about Glover, citing “clear and overwhelming evidence” that her decisions placed TSU in financial peril. Johnson, who briefly served as TSU’s interim president, revealed years of wildly fluctuating budget deficits and financial mismanagement at the hands of previous leadership in September. The university has since instituted layoffs, budget cuts and a freeze on hiring and nonessential spending.
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Mumpower also said he supports the new administration’s decision to end its commitment to Glover.
“While I certainly respect the members’ opinion, my role as Comptroller is to ensure decisions are made that protect the financial and operational functions of Tennessee State University. A successful TSU is vital to our state,” part of the statement read. “TSU is facing a critical situation, and this is the time to ask tough questions and for university leaders to make difficult choices. I stand by my comments regarding the former president.”
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee State University: State Democrats criticize comptroller comments