Important Messages to the LR Community

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, President
DT: April 24, 2021

This past week has been challenging for the Lenoir-Rhyne community, and I want to thank all of you who have shared your stories and your experiences. 

I am committed to continue working with you to ensure that Lenoir-Rhyne is the inclusive, welcoming and supportive environment that we all strive for and expect.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Emma Sellers, Director of Multicultural Affairs
DT: April 21, 2021
RE: A Statement from the Lenoir-Rhyne Office of Multicultural Affairs

As previously stated, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has been tasked with facilitating the independent investigation of the women’s basketball program in light of recent concerns that have been raised.  As all members of our campus know, this office works hard to create a diverse community that welcomes people of different backgrounds.  That’s why, when we were vetting firms, one of our priorities was to ensure our investigation team included people with diverse experiences.

With that in mind, we are pleased to introduce the two attorneys who will lead the investigation, Stacy Wood and Shalanna Pirttle, both partners at Parker Poe law firm in Charlotte.  Parker Poe is a well-established firm in the Southeast with eight offices, offering a wide variety of professional services.  It is important to acknowledge that Parker Poe has previously done work for Lenoir-Rhyne, but it does not currently represent the university in any matter, and Ms. Wood and Ms. Pirtle have no relationships with anyone at LRU that could influence their review.

Both Ms. Wood and Ms. Pirtle bring with them extensive experience with complex investigations. Over the past several years, they have worked on at least 10 investigations involving higher education institutions, and we are confident they have the expertise to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. 

Ms. Wood has more than 29 years of experience with a focus on discrimination and harassment and has worked extensively with colleges, universities and K-12 schools throughout the Carolinas to successfully navigate these issues. Furthermore, Ms. Wood’s experience as a former Division I student-athlete and current parent of a collegiate athlete will provide a unique understanding of team dynamics as she approaches this investigation.

Ms. Pirtle is a certified mediator and has concentrated her 14 years of practice in the areas of employment counseling, internal investigations and litigation. She is also chair of Parker Poe’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee where she leads initiatives to improve diversity, inclusion and equity within the firm and the legal profession at large. 

Finally, while we do not have an exact timeline for the investigation, Ms. Wood’s and Ms. Pirtle’s work to find the facts and get answers will begin immediately.  It will take some time for their investigation to be completed, and we want to give them enough time to review the recently raised concerns.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: LR Board of Trustees
DT: April 21, 2021
RE: A Statement from the Lenoir-Rhyne Board of Trustees 

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Board of Trustees met during a called meeting on Wednesday, April 21, to discuss the situation regarding the women’s basketball team and the claims of racism in the program. 

Racism has no place at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Board of Trustees take these claims very seriously. We are unanimous in our support for the leadership of President Whitt and the university administration and have full confidence in their efforts to manage and lead the university through this difficult situation. We fully endorse their decision to retain an external, independent investigator to perform an appropriate review of this matter. 

An independent investigation will allow for a thorough and impartial analysis of the facts, providing our board and the administration the necessary information to make appropriate decisions. We expect this investigation to take some time to complete. Until then, it is important that our university community allow the investigative team the time, resources and impartiality that they deserve. 

We take our solemn responsibility as fiduciary trustees of Lenoir-Rhyne University seriously, especially when it comes to ensuring that Lenoir-Rhyne is a community that is welcoming and inclusive. We will work diligently to ensure that our students, faculty and staff can find a place where they feel safe and accepted. 

FR: Emma Sellers, Director of Multicultural Affairs
DT: April 19, 2021

As many of you may be aware, President Whitt has charged the Office of Multicultural Affairs to lead the review of the concerns recently raised regarding the women’s basketball program.

After further discussions with President Whitt and other key stakeholders, we have determined that the most appropriate way to proceed with this review is to engage an independent, external investigator.

Time will be required to complete a fair and impartial review and we ask for the community’s patience. We will share updates with the campus community as appropriate.

TO: LR Campus Community
FR: Dr. Fred Whitt, University President
DT: April 17, 2021

Yesterday, a former student-athlete posted a number of false claims on social media, including that she was dismissed from the women's basketball team for speaking out against racism and advocating for social justice. Lenoir-Rhyne flatly disagrees with this student's version of events. Her dismissal from the basketball team was a legitimate coaching decision, and suggestions to the contrary are simply false.

Although we have no indication to suggest that there is any racism or any undertone of racism within the women's basketball program, Lenoir-Rhyne takes any such claim extremely seriously. For that reason, Lenoir-Rhyne is initiating an internal review of this matter led by our Office of Multicultural Affairs. We are doing so in a sincere effort to recognize and address any blind spots we may have.

The culture that we are striving to create at Lenoir-Rhyne is one that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, and over the past decade, we have made important strides on our campus toward that end. They include establishing the Office of Multicultural Affairs, creating programs that increase faculty, staff and student awareness of social justice issues, increasing diversity and inclusion offerings in the curriculum, increasing the number of students of color enrolled and the number of faculty of color.

In addition, in the last year alone we have created an Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Committee, hosted speakers and panels on diversity and inclusion, fielded a climate survey to student-athletes and Athletics staff, and launched a University-wide task force on social justice.

As a nation, we are reckoning with intolerable racism and inequality that continues to exist and affects our students, faculty and staff both overtly and insidiously. As a proud member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Lenoir-Rhyne is committed to confronting racism and calling for justice and equity for all people. Education is a powerful force to eradicate racism and inequality and our mission to prepare graduates for purposeful lives and service has never been more important.