Students at Winthrop University took their outrage to the heart of campus on Tuesday, staging a protest after a former university lawyer alleged an administrator used racial slurs. Organizers said they are pushing for accountability from top leadership, while university officials are firmly rejecting the claims as false and misleading as the legal fight grinds on.
University pushes back in official statement
In an April 27 statement, Winthrop University Board Chair Joel Hamilton and President Edward Serna called the allegations “false and misleading” and highlighted rising Black enrollment and an increase in Black representation on the president’s cabinet as signs of progress at the school, according to Winthrop University. The statement also says the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently dismissed a charge connected to the dispute and notes that the university has filed a counterclaim for legal malpractice in response to the former counsel’s public accusations.
Students protest and demand answers
Students gathered on campus Tuesday after the allegations surfaced publicly this spring, according to WBTV. Freshman and former Winthrop ambassador Montez Broughton told WBTV he wants “more accountability from leadership” and said some students feel the university’s new “Bring the You” rebrand has not matched their lived experience on campus.
Background: Legal complaints and internal reports
The dispute traces back to complaints filed in 2024 and 2025 by then-employee Amy Bailey and later by former general counsel Todd Hagins, who alleged racial slurs were used inside the president’s office and sought a federal review of his termination, as reported by The Herald. Those complaints triggered internal investigations and an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge that has since led to a state Freedom of Information Act lawsuit and additional litigation, according to local reporting including MyTJNow.
Legal implications
Winthrop’s April 27 statement says the university has filed a counterclaim for legal malpractice and submitted an expert affidavit in support, and that the EEOC dismissed Hagins’ charge as unlikely to produce a finding, Winthrop University said. Local reporting has noted that Hagins’ separate FOIA and tort filings raise questions about board process and transparency that could influence how the litigation unfolds.
What’s next for the campus
With commencement set for May 9 and about 722 students expected to graduate, the university has said it does not want the ongoing dispute to overshadow key campus milestones, according to WBTV. Protest organizers, meanwhile, say they plan to keep pressing for more transparency from leadership in the coming weeks.
For now, the clash is playing out both in court filings and in public demonstrations. Students and university officials remain sharply divided over what was said, what happened next, and how the fallout has been handled.
