DALLAS
Paul Quinn College has taken its fight for accreditation to federal court. The oldest historically Black college in Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Atlanta to restore its accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
The commission voted in June to drop Paul Quinn’s accreditation, shaky finances and sub-par student outcomes.
The Dallas school on Monday lost an appeal for accreditation from the commission.
The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that the school claims its process rights were violated and it faces “catastrophic and irreparable harm” if accreditation is not reinstated.
“We were hopeful in the appellate process. Here we’re not only hopeful but optimistic,” Dallas lawyer William Brewer told the Dallas Morning News. Brewer’s firm is representing Paul Quinn pro bono.
An appeals committee ruled that the accrediting agency followed procedure and was fair. The Decatur, Ga.-based accrediting agency said in a news release that no further appeals were allowed with the commission.
Dr. Belle Wheelan, president of the SACS’s Commission on Colleges, told the Dallas Morning News said the group had to consider Paul Quinn’s long-term financial health and not just its balance at the end of one year.
“Even if they paid all their bills yesterday, we still have no idea whether they’re going to have enough money to run the institution next year,” she said.
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