The legal tussle at Mott Community College escalates as the faculty union, the Mott Community College Education Association (MCCEA), has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Trustees. The union is adamantly trying to block the board from proceeding with the permanent appointment of Interim President Shaunda Richardson-Snell. At the heart of the contention is a reported conflict of interest involving Richardson-Snell and Trustee Janet Couch's daughter, who worked as a realtor for Richardson-Snell's home purchase in Genesee County.
According to details released by WNEM, the lawsuit requests a jury trial and an injunction to both remove Richardson-Snell as president and to require the college to establish a transparent and fair selection process for her replacement. The emergence of the conflict was first raised by then-board attorney William Brickley, who subsequently declined to draft an employment contract and resigned. "The faculty are asking for transparency from the Board and a national search for the next president of the college," Brian Littleton, President of the MCCEA, emphasized in a statement obtained by WNEM.
The faculty's push for openness in this appointment has been highlighted against the backdrop of a proposed national search for a new permanent president, which was offered to be funded by C.S. Mott Foundation President Ridgway White last winter. Despite this offer, reported by ABC12, the Mott Community College board members have not initiated such a search.
Further complicating the situation, as illuminated by MLive, is a detailed connection between Trustee Sue Couch and Richardson-Snell. Couch, who has been notably absent from multiple meetings in 2025, failed to disclose that her daughter sold a house to Richardson-Snell in October 2024. This revelation came amidst calls from both the campus community and MCC's labor unions for clarity and honesty in the president's hiring process. The lawsuit filed in the 30th Circuit Court seeks to not just invalidate Richardson-Snell's appointment, but also reverse any actions she has undertaken in her capacity as president, and insists on a proper search for her successor.
In what could be a pivotal moment, the board of trustees has scheduled a special meeting for 11 a.m. on Monday, May 12, to consider a recommendation to finalize a contract and offer Richardson-Snell the presidency on a permanent basis.
