Dr. Ernest McNealey
The board of trustees voted not to renew McNealey's contract, with his presidency ending Dec. 15, according to a letter from board chair Bishop James Davis to students and staff.
"Even though moments of transition can raise questions, I want to reassure each of you that our institution remains strong, stable, and firmly committed to its mission," Davis wrote in the letter. Davis serves as bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church's seventh district, which owns the downtown Columbia campus.
The board appointed Dr. Stanley Pritchett as interim president. Pritchett previously served as president of Morris Brown College in Atlanta.
McNealey's departure comes as the university faces federal scrutiny over a multimillion-dollar building project that converted a historic hospital in Columbia's Waverly neighborhood into a multipurpose campus facility.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development froze $4.3 million in federal funding for the project after Allen submitted re-dated invoices. The FBI opened an investigation earlier this year following questions raised by a former board member about a series of companies created to secure tax credits for the project.
Those companies were given ownership of the building and leased it back to the university, raising concerns that McNealey effectively controlled the building because he served as sole agent of the shell companies.
McNealey was first hired as Allen's interim president in 2016 after the board dismissed the previous president without explanation. He had previously served as president of Stillman College in Alabama.
