TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A judge is now considering whether to dismiss a lawsuit over Florida A&M University\u2019s (FAMU) presidential search.<\/p>\n
Several FAMU alumni sued the Board of Trustees<\/a> last June, claiming the search was rigged for Marva Johnson. They want the judge to order an independent investigation into the search.<\/p>\n Attorneys on both sides presented their case Wednesday afternoon. The plaintiff\u2019s attorney, Ennis Jacobs, pointed to all the concerns raised during the search, including those raised by the plaintiff and then Board member Earnie Ellison.<\/p>\n More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n He said the board<\/a> refused to act on all those concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t do this court action, those statements will never be heard. The true essence and depth of the process that occurred will never be known,\u201d the plaintiff\u2019s attorney said.<\/p>\n The attorney for the board, Maria Santoro, asked the judge to dismiss the suit, saying there\u2019s no legal basis for an investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t like the vote and so now they want to come with no legal standing, requiring the court to do something it has no jurisdiction to do and go back and say, \u2018No, don\u2019t do that,\u2019\u201d Santoro said.<\/p>\n The judge did not rule today, but he said he expects to issue something next week.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n