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Published on January 17, 2025
Tennessee State University's Band Director Dismissed Amid Internal Audit and Policy ConcernsSource: Google Street View

In a significant shake-up within the music department, Tennessee State University's band director has been removed from his position, according to the school's announcement on Thursday. Dr. Reginald McDonald, who led the TSU Aristocrat of Bands, a Grammy-award-winning ensemble, is no longer holding the title as the university undergoes an internal audit.

Interim President Dwayne Tucker, who only recently stepped into the leadership role in December, cited "outstanding travel requisitions and advances and related lack of compliance with TSU policies and procedures" as the grounds for McDonald's dismissal. Despite the situation, Dr. McDonald has been allowed to remain on administrative leave with full pay while the investigation unfolds, as reported by FOX 17.

The audit itself comes at a challenging time for TSU, a historically black university, as it grapples with financial strain leading to layoffs of over 100 staff and program cuts. In addressing state leaders last month, Tucker emphasized the necessity to "begin to figure out how to put processes in place and make decisions and making hard calls about what we need to do to adjust our overhead for the footprint that we have today," a statement obtained by WSMV.

While the full details of the investigation into Dr. McDonald's actions have not been disclosed, TSU has yet to suggest that any criminal activity has taken place. The school is actively conducting an investigation to determine whether there's been a breach of its policies. Amidst the ongoing probe, students at TSU are said to be longing for greater stability and clearer communication, with one student expressing to WSMV, "I think they are doing a better now, but before, it was very confusing, I didn’t know what was going to happen to the school to students."

As the university and its community await the outcome of the investigation, the future direction of the storied Aristocrat of Bands will equally weigh in the balance. TSU has not announced a replacement for McDonald or detailed plans for the transition of leadership within the music department. This story will continue to develop as more information becomes available. The latest update on the decision was captured in a statement released by Tucker, as reported by NewsChannel 5.