Dr. Kevin James
James, who has led the historic Atlanta institution since 2019, announced his firing in a social media post on Jan. 12, stating that the board had "terminated my service" with no reason provided. Hours later, the college announced that Trustee Nzinga Shaw would serve as interim president.
In a statement released Tuesday, the board acknowledged that James' termination "did not fully comply with the procedural and contractual requirements outlined in his employee agreement."
"The Board acknowledges that this period has been disruptive and painful for members of the Morris Brown community," the statement read. "The board deeply regrets the harm this has caused our institution, students, families, donors, supporters, and Dr. James."
The reversal comes at a critical juncture for the historically Black college. Under James' leadership, Morris Brown achieved a landmark reaccreditation in 2022 after nearly two decades without accreditation—a milestone that reopened access to federal financial aid and sparked renewed academic expansion and enrollment growth.
The college faces an accreditation reaffirmation visit in two weeks, making leadership stability particularly crucial.
In his own statement, James expressed his commitment to moving the institution forward.
"The work continues. Our immediate priorities are to begin the healing journey while continuing our focused preparation for our upcoming accreditation reaffirmation visit in two weeks. We will be ready," he wrote. "The time is now. We now begin The Hard Reset Part II."
The board indicated it will review its governance practices and institutional processes to restore trust following the controversial termination and reinstatement.
Morris Brown College, founded in 1881, is one of the nation's oldest historically Black colleges and universities.
