Atlanta

Morehouse will not renew president's contract

ATLANTA — Students are reacting to a leadership change at a local college Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attended.

Some student leaders are upset that leaders at Morehouse College did not include them in the decision.

John Wilson graduated from Morehouse in 1979 and was named its 11th president in November 2012.

But over the weekend, the board of trustees decided not to renew his contact. So now school leaders are looking for another president.

John Wilson graduated from Morehouse in 1979 and was named its 11th President in November 2012.

“I feel like he didn't deserve this. I feel as though taking care of a college is hard,” student Tre Hilton told Channel 2’s Nefertiti Jaquez.

The announcement was made in a statement Sunday -- the birthday of the school's most famous graduate- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The board of trustees did not explain the decision and a Morehouse spokesperson told Jaquez they couldn't comment.

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"We should have had the opportunity to speak out for our student body because that's what we are elected to do," senior Morehouse board trustee Johntavis Williams said.

The board voted Friday not to renew Wilson's contract, but did not allow the three student members of the board to attend, causing major criticism.

Student trustees Jonathan Hill and Williams told Jaquez they want to know why.

"There is a sense of frustration," Williams said.

“As trustees we are supposed to be here to represent the student body. And this past weekend that opportunity was taken away from us,” Hill said.

Either way, the news comes months after Wilson drew some resistance from past students.

In October, alumni filed a petition saying they wanted Wilson out because the school was in turmoil.

But Wilson said that he is proud of his tenure at the historically black college and in a statement said:

"I am proud of the work we have achieved and the obstacles we have overcome while serving as President of Morehouse College."

Wilson’s contract ends in June.