Watch CBS News

Review Finds Kean University Practices Non-Discriminatory

UNION, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An internal review has found that a New Jersey university's policies and processes aren't discriminatory.

A coalition of black ministers had alleged discrimination at Kean University last fall.  At the time, protesters said Kean has spent too much money on sprucing up the campus, while cutting faculty and raising tuition, WCBS 880 reported.

The report prepared by Kean University's governance committee determined the university's policies are "comprehensive and equitable.''

It says nearly a fifth of Kean's students are African-American and roughly 30 percent of its employees are black.

The committee suggested bridging the gap in the graduation rate between black students and the general student population and to expand recruitment efforts to hire more black faculty.

Kean says a trustee who previously investigated federal civil rights complaints leads the governance committee.

Faculty union officials say the report would have more legitimacy if done independently.

In 2015, a New Jersey woman plead not guilty to making fake threats against black students at the university, after attending a rally on racial rights.

Prosecutors contend Kayla-Simone McKelvey, 24, of Union Township, participated in a Nov. 17 rally on racial issues at Kean University and then went to a campus library computer and posted anonymous threats on Twitter against black students.

Investigators said McKelvey then returned to the rally and tried to raise awareness about the threats.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.