North Carolina A&T State University has suspended an adjunct professor of political science who is running for the Greensboro, N.C., City Council on the grounds that he violated a policy regarding political activity, the News & Record, a local newspaper, reported.
North Carolina A&T’s provost, Joe B. Whitehead Jr., said the instructor, Jamal Fox, had broken a rule covering all employees of the University of North Carolina system. The rule states that employees must seek permission to run for office before announcing their candidacy. Mr. Whitehead said he was still investigating a concern raised by Mr. Fox’s opponent, Jim Kee, that the instructor may have traded a favorable grade for a student’s vote. Mr. Fox has denied that allegation.
Mr. Whitehead told the newspaper that Mr. Kee had had no influence over his decision to tell Mr. Fox he had to either drop out of the race or resign. “I took action based on policy, solely based on policy,” the provost said.
The council race will be decided by voters next Tuesday. While the election is officially nonpartisan, both Mr. Fox and Mr. Kee are registered Democrats. Both are also alumni of North Carolina A&T, and Mr. Kee is a former member of its Board of Visitors, an advisory body. The university’s governing boards are the systemwide UNC Board of Governors and a local Board of Trustees.
