TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A lawsuit filed earlier this year by Florida A&M University students and alumni alleged that the HBCU’s search for a president was “predetermined in violation of the state Constitution.”
The complaint asked for an emergency injunction on behalf of 10 plaintiffs, a mixture of FAMU alumni and students, against eight FAMU Board of Trustees members who voted for Marva Johnson and the Florida BOG, including its chair, Brian Lamb, and vice chair, Alan Levine.
Now, those FAMU Board of Trustees members named in the lawsuit are asking a judge to dismiss the suit.
More Tallahassee news:
In a motion filed last week, the BOT members claimed that the suit disagrees with the process and selection of the current FAMU president, Marva Johnson.
“That is certainly their right,” the motion said. “What they cannot do is tap this Court’s narrowly prescribed power to injuctions as a proxy for reverse engineering the presidential selection process that was formally finalized approximately four months ago.”
They argue that the complaint is vague and lacks standing.
“The Complaint is a vague, ambiguous, unanswerable and impermissible shotgun pleading which violates basic rules of pleading and is incapable of response,” the motion reads.
The motion claims that the original complaint does not cite any statute that would give the court jurisdiction over the matter, and the court has no authority to authorize an injunction.
The full motion for dismissal can be read below:
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.