January 1, Black College Faces Criminal Enterprise Lawsuit

Wyatt’s Take

• Former university official calls out alleged corruption at Maryland HBCU.
• Lawsuits accuse top administrators of stealing federal funds and punishing whistleblowers.
• Grants meant for research and minority students reportedly misused or targeted for retaliation.

A former vice provost at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore says school leaders ran a “criminal enterprise to divert federal and state funds,” according to a federal lawsuit. This is just one of four recent lawsuits against the school’s administration, including its president and diversity officer. The suits allege whistleblowers who uncovered wrongdoing were pushed out by the university’s diversity office.

Claims from these cases say the school has almost no academic standards, letting in 90% of applicants and ignoring cheating and truancy to keep student loan dollars coming. The graduation rate sits at a low 17% for four years. The lead lawsuit filed by Dr. Sandeep Gopalan, who once ran academic research for the school, claims he exposed a scheme to steal thousands of iPads bought with a federal grant. He says the university shot down his program and let go of his Ph.D. students as punishment, even though their scholarships were funded by a separate federal grant not under school control.

According to Gopalan’s lawsuit, research on cancer, pollution, and artificial intelligence was halted after his students were dismissed. He also alleges the university’s top leaders embezzled iPads meant for struggling minority students. When he brought his concerns to federal authorities, school administrators began questioning whether his top-performing Ph.D. students were black, although Gopalan says selection was merit-based with a minority focus.

The filing also claims that after Gopalan reported further fraud to state officials, the administration attempted to steal his $4.6 million research grant. The Department of Education had to intervene, saying the grant had not been revoked and demanding its restoration. The lawsuits accuse these officials of ignoring terrible student outcomes and being resentful toward efforts for improvement. The school’s president and provost are both pharmacists, with the provost accused of copying Gopalan’s work to claim credit.

Gopalan’s suit asks the court to force the return of large salaries from top school leaders, including over a million dollars for a chancellor. The Maryland Attorney General has responded in court, pushing to dismiss the case by citing legal protections and claiming Gopalan lacks evidence of racial discrimination. Another lawsuit from a separate faculty member details more alleged criminal activities and declining results under current leadership, including a sharp enrollment drop and lower graduation rates in the pharmacy program.

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Wyatt Matters

This story highlights why transparency and real accountability matter for every community. Hardworking Americans expect their tax money to help students and fund real research, not pad the pockets of bureaucrats. Folks deserve honesty and results, not excuses and failed standards, especially when it comes to the next generation’s chance to get ahead.