FLINT, Mich. — The Mott Community College Board of Trustees voted 4–3 to approve a $255,000 contract for Interim President Shaunda Richardson-Snell on May 19, reversing prior negotiations and deepening tensions with the faculty union.
The contract originally proposed by an ad hoc committee, was approved by Trustees Candice Miller, Wendy Wolcott, Jeffrey Swanson, and Janet Couch during the special board meeting.
Trustees Dr. John H. Daly III, Art Reyes, and Dr. Kenyetta Dotson voted against the motion, citing ethical concerns and the board’s failure to conduct a national search. “I still believe and hold that we should be doing a national search,” said Reyes. “Offering any contract to Shaunda Richardson-Snell is premature.”
The board’s vote comes amid an active lawsuit filed by the Mott Community College Education Association (MCCEA), the faculty union, which argues that the appointment process lacks transparency and may violate the faculty’s collective bargaining agreement.
The controversy dates back to 2023, when then-board attorney William Brickley formally raised a potential conflict of interest involving Richardson-Snell and Trustee Couch’s daughter. Brickley later resigned in protest, refusing to draft the president’s contract and citing the board’s failure to address the issue.
“The faculty are asking for transparency from the Board and a national search for the next president of the college,” said MCCEA President Brian Littleton in a May 9, 2024 press release. “Our students deserve to know they have the best person in place leading the college and that the search was conducted properly.”
Following the vote, Littleton issued a sharply worded statement condemning the board’s decision
“This move is disgraceful in that it lacks transparency and integrity. Four members of this board willfully ignored the students, the community, the faculty, and their own fellow board members in making a decision that serves their own interests rather than the college.”
The approved contract includes:
- A $255,000 base salary
- A $30,000 merit bonus
- A $900 monthly car allowance
During discussion, Trustee Miller defended Richardson-Snell, asserting that she has “proven herself” and calling objections over contract details “nitpicking.” Reyes pushed back, saying, “It is our job to nitpick.”
Outside the meeting, demonstrators gathered to echo the faculty union’s demand for a national search—an approach previously supported by Richardson-Snell herself.
The contract has been signed by both Richardson-Snell and the board. The May 19 vote reversed extensive edits made during a May 12 meeting, when the full board had reviewed the agreement in detail before recessing without a final decision.