Dear Faculty and Staff,
As many of you know, Friday, October 9 was an important day for Antioch University. We had a court hearing in our lawsuit seeking relief from the Coalition for the Common Good’s attempted takeover. The two of us spent the day in a basement courtroom in Xenia, Ohio, observing and participating in the over-six-hour proceedings. We were grateful to be joined by nearly twenty colleagues and friends of Antioch. Antioch supporters completely filled all four rows of seats on “our side” of the small courtroom. The support we saw and felt throughout the day buoyed us and kept us strong. Thank you! The other side of the aisle was almost empty. Its rows seated two representatives of the CCG—Dr. Comerford and Mary Granger—and no one more.
At the end of a long and stressful day, the judge adjourned without ruling on our request for injunctive relief. We are again waiting to learn whether the court will grant relief that allows Antioch University to carry out its work while the parties litigate whether the CCG and its President have authority to abolish the Antioch Board of Governors, put the Antioch President on leave, and take control of Antioch’s governance, HLC communications, day-to-day operations, and resources.
We had hoped to be able to write to you with more definitive—and positive—news. But alas, we now wait for the magistrate judge to review her hearing notes (including the strong arguments made by our Taft attorney) and all the paperwork submitted by both sides. The judge promised that our case would be a priority and that she would get back to us at the earliest possible time. Still, for all who love Antioch, the wait is agonizing.
We will continue to keep you informed via tomorrow’s Community Update. During that update, Cabinet members who were present on Friday will share information and observations so you can hear from a variety of voices.
We hope you’ve had at least a partially restorative weekend. This conflict is draining, and we must take care of ourselves along the way. I (Lori) was fortunate to spend the last few days soaking in Ohio’s picturesque fall landscape, surrounded by people who care deeply about Antioch and all of us fighting for its future.
I return to California later today. During the long flight, I’ll be doing some heavy-duty reflection on how to live, lead, and serve as an Antiochian who has taken seriously Horace Mann’s urging to “be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity.”
Neither Steve nor I is ready to die—or to give up—before we have done everything in our power, both through the legal system and together with you and the rest of the Antioch community, to win a victory for Antioch and the people who have made it the institution it is for 174 years.
We send a genuine thank you to all who are working so hard to Keep Antioch University Antioch.
Sincerely,
Lori Varlotta
President, Antioch University
Steve Crandall
Chair, Antioch University Board of Governors