From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.

com>
Date: September 20, 2014 2:10:35 PM PDT
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>, Chancellor
<chancellor@usg.edu>
Cc: John Ruch <johnruchatlanta@gmail.com>, John S Stephen
<jsstephen@valdosta.edu>, "jenny <jenny@jcullerlaw.com"
<jenny@jcullerlaw.com>, Winnie Wright <winnie.wright@wctv.tv>,
Leigh Touchton <leigh.touchton@gmail.com>, Floyd Rose
<floyderose@att.net>, William J McKinney
<wmckinney@valdosta.edu>, Honey Hatcher Coppage
<hhatcher@valdosta.edu>, "Janel (CMG-Atlanta) Davis"
<Janel.Davis@ajc.com>
Bcc:
Subject: Formal Complaint Against Valdosta State University and
President William McKinney
Mr. Horne,
Please consider the following a formal complaint against Valdosta
State University President William McKinney. I honestly hope you will
assist me and the organization I represent in resolving these issues.
Know that they took place in July of this year as I was wrapping up my
8th year of teaching at VSU. I provided VSU with my verbal notice on
July 8th when I informed my program director Dr. Tracy Meyers that I
would not be returning to teach in the Fall as scheduled.
1) In spite of the fact that I did not violate any VSU or University
System of Georgia policy, President McKinney deliberately
interfered with my right to free speech and academic freedom
when he personally ordered the deactivation of my VSU email
account on July 28th, 2014. He did this in response to my sending
two email communications to the Governor of Georgia and General
Assembly calling for an end to state funding of Confederate activities.
He now states that this action was a "standard" practice for former
faculty although a) countless former VSU faculty continue to use their
VSU email accounts, b) VSU has no policy on the deactivation of email
accounts for former faculty, and c) I provided him with formal
statements and evidence from VSU faculty that no such policy exists.
In short, it appears that his actions were deliberate, retaliatory and
again, not supported by any VSU or USG policy, nor my violation of
any VSU or USG policy.

In addition to violating my right to free speech and academic freedom,

Dr. McKinney's unannounced deactivation of my email also created
enormous chaos for me in terms of information and contacts I no
longer have access to and need to a) coordinate two of the MTP
initiatives and b) stay in contact with colleagues and professional in my
field from all over the country.
2) Based on no existing VSU or University System of Georgia
policy, VSU President William McKinney also seized the funds
($247.50) of the Mary Turner Project (MTP). Today he refuses to
release those funds to the MTP's partner organization Save Our
Children where our work continues. As the founder of MTP and as
its coordinator, in a meeting with President McKinney on August 18th,
2014 I was told that he saw "no problem" transferring the MTP funds if
I asked Dr. Tracy Woodard Meyers (Dir. of WGST) to put in the
appropriate paperwork. In turn, Dr. Meyers submitted that request
and VSU nevertheless refused to release the funds. The MTP was
then told that we needed to simply insure that those funds would go to
the purpose their donated for (the work of the MTP). In turn, I
provided Dr. McKinney with documentation (9/12/14 - see attached
MTP funds) from the President of Save Our Children insuring that
those funds would go to continue the work of the MTP. Nonetheless,
Dr. McKinney continues to hold those funds.
To date, and though its been requested multiple times, Dr. McKinney
has also not provided the MTP with the "policy" he has used to seize
our resources.
3)Valdosta State College has repeatedly failed to comply with
Georgia Open Records law by quoting and charging inflated
open records fees(see attached Coppage Email Exchanges). In
short, I (and others) have been quoted a rate of more than $41.00 an
hour and charged $31.00 per hour only to find out (in email
communications involving Dr. McKinney) that past requests have been
charged $15.00 an hour. Furthermore, and in accordance with
Georgia Open Records law, Valdosta State University now refuses
to identify who their open records person is and how much that
person is compensated (see attached Coppage 2 email).
If you would like or need any evidence to substantiate my claims
please let me know and I will provide it to you.

Again, I hope that you will take this matter seriously and help us
resolve it as soon as possible.
Mark Patrick George (VSU 89)
Mary Turner Project Coordinator
(229) 234-2856
www.maryturner.org

From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: September 22, 2014 2:30:18 PM PDT
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: Formal Complaint Against Valdosta State University
and President William McKinney

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From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: October 6, 2014 9:09:58 AM PDT
To: "Mark George (markpgeorge@gmail.com)"
<markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Subject: Concerns at VSU

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From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: October 7, 2014 7:36:07 AM PDT
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>
Subject: Re: Concerns at VSU
Hi Mr. Horne,
I forgot to ask you if you'd like me to forward the emails I have sent to
Dr. McKinney (and other relevant parties) attempting to resolve this
matter?

!
!

From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: October 24, 2014 7:48:55 AM PDT
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>, Laverne Lewis Gaskins
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>
Bcc:
Subject: Re: Concerns at VSU
Hi Mr. Horne,
Per our phone conversation on Wednesday, I'd like to reiterate some
points that I raised in our discussion. At the same time please know
that I appreciate all the work you have done relative to this matter.
First, I remain concerned about whether an actual ethics investigation
by the University System of Georgia is being done? With all due
respect and although I appreciate your effort to find resolutions to the
compliant I have filed involving Valdosta State University President
William McKinney and Provost Hudson Rogers, I did not contact your
office to request mediation. I contacted your office because I believe
that VSU administrators have committed ethical, and possibly, legal
violations (relative to University System of Georgia practices/policies
and Georgia open records law). With that in mind, and though I
appreciate your desire to play mediator in this matter, my hope is that
the vast majority of your energy is focused on assessing whether
ethical and legal violations have in fact occurred (e.g. infringements on
my right to academic freedom/free speech, the arbitrary enforcement
of "policies" no one can produce, VSU compliance with Georgia open
records law, the freezing of Mary Turner Project funds, etc.). That is
why I contacted your office and please remember that I only contacted
you after VSU administrators refused to communicate with
me.......Again, my compliant to your office centers on hoping the USG
will vigorously investigate whether ethical or legal violations have
occurred. Furthermore, if ethical and/or legal violations have in fact
occurred, I expect them to be publicly documented, that there be
consequences for those involved, and that policies and/or practices are
developed (or adhered to if they exist) to rectify these kinds of
activities.
As I also shared, it is imperative for me to understand whyDr.
McKinney and Dr. Rogersactively interfered with my right to free

speech and academic freedom when theydecided to a) counsel and

tell me that I could not use my email account for anything "political"
and, b) when they subsequently targeted my VSU email account for
deactivation without any notice (locking me out of 7+ years of student/
professional contacts and communications, in addition to years worth
of course work I designed in online teaching resources I used like
Desire2Learn/Webct)?
As you know, the most recent explanation Dr. McKinney and Dr.
Rogers have offered simply doesn't make any sense (e.g. that the
deactivation of my email was part of some "standard" procedure for
former VSU faculty, that my last day was in May, etc., etc.). As you
also know, I have produced evidence that invalidates Dr. McKinney
and Dr. Rogers' current justification. That evidence has included
emails demonstrating that Dr. McKinney personally ordered the
deactivation of my email account. It also includes email statements
from faculty about VSU email account policy and practice, in addition to
examples that show current and former VSU faculty regularly use their
email account for "political" issues. If needed, I can also provide you
with a formal statement from the Women and Gender Studies Program
Director that I did not give my notice until July 8th, when I decided not
to return to teach the classes I was scheduled for in the Fall.
Given VSU actions and how I have been treated by Dr. McKinney and
Provost Rogers, I believe I also deserve answers to these questions.
* Why did Dr. McKinney heed and act on the unfounded accusations of
a neo-Conferate activist named John C. Hall from Dublin, Georgia, a
person who has publicly stated Black people are "savages" and
genetically "different" from whites? Please know that Mr. Hall's
behavior continues and he contacted Dr. Tracy Woodard (VSU's
WGST Director) this week to once again complain about me and levy a
number of accusations about me. I can provide you with that email if
you would like it.
* Why haven't VSU administrators provided me with a single policy I
have been accused of violating? As you know, I have requested said
policy from VSU administrators numerous times now to no avail.
* Why did Dr. McKinney initially defend my right to academic freedom

and free speech but change his position after USG Vice Chancellor
Tom Daniel instructed VSU administrators to "get out in front of the
Mark George letter" relative to my written response to Mr. Hall's
accusations?
* Why has my open records request for USG Vice Chancellor Tom
Daniel's emails (related to this situation) not been met? To date I have
been told by USG Records Custodian John Millsaps that were no such
documents (even though I have in my possession emails that involve
Mr. Daniel). When I questioned Mr Millsaps about his claim I was then
told that "Mr. Daniel does not retain routine email communications and
hence does not have these in his possession." I find this statement
dubious given the documents I have, Mr. Daniel's role in the USG, and
the weight of this matter.
* Why did the Chair of Higher Education in the Georgia Legislature,
Rep. Carl Rogers feel the need to contact the USG and encourage
them to contact President McKinney about a "so-called professor" (me)
that was misusing state resources for political purposes?
I realize this list involves a tall task Mr. Horne but given the evidence I
have it appears that a chain of events occurred involving a known NeoConfederate and white separatist, a couple of George lawmakers, USG
personnel, and VSU Administrators that culminated in an attempt to
squelch my right to academic freedom and free speech via the very
deliberate deactivation of my email account and the seizure of MTP
funds.
Relative to my accusation that VSU violated open records law by
attempting to inflate open records search fees, although I believe Ms.
Coppage told you that I wasn't charged for two hours of work that is
not the issue nor does it negate my claim. Even if Ms. Coppage's
statement were true, the issue is that VSU told me, on my initial open
records request (that was spawned by the Provost's unwillingness to
meet with me to discuss VSU's actions) that the search would not only
cost "$41.11 per hour" (supposedly the lowest paid person capable of
doing the search) and that it would take "15 hours." As you know,
when I challenged Ms. Coppage about this (over the course of a week
in three separate emails) she in turn lowered the fee to "$31.90" and
stated it would now take only "3.75 hours" not 15? In sum, Coppages'

actions, in addition to other issues, raises serious questions about

whether there was an attempt to obstruct my access to public records
by making that process excessively expensive.
As for the Mary Turner Project funds, attached you'll find the "policy"
VSU has used to justify withholding our funds. It is my understanding
that this document was recently given to Rev. Floyd Rose by Provost
Rogers. Rev. Rose in turn mailed it to me given that I requested it
from President McKinney and the Provost numerous times over the
past weeks. Having reviewed it, know that I have questions about the
content of this "policy." I am also deeply troubled by the fact that it was
not provided to us when we established our account with the
foundation? Lastly, I'm curious as to if and when the highlighted
section being used to withhold our funds was written?
As I have explained to you in our first phone conversation, when I
established the VSU foundation account for the Mary Turner Project it
was a simple task involving an email and we were not provided with
any policy, any guidelines, or any restrictions relative to the use or
management of our funds. Furthermore, we have requested and
received checks on our account from the VSU Foundation that went to
non-profit groups that support our work (something I am now being
told we can't do given the cited policy?). I have attached an example
of one such request/check that speaks to that reality. Therefore, I
remain at a loss as to why that wasn't simply done when I attempted to
move our funds months ago? I also remain concerned that to now ask
our partner organization Save Our Children to "bill" VSU for something,
as if Save Our Children has been provided a service or product by
VSU, so these funds can be released puts an unnecessary burden on
Save Our Children in addition to possibly putting them at risk. I am
continuing to research this matter. Also, could you are someone
please direct me to with the IRS rules you mention in your email (that
restrict the Foundation from writing S.O.S. a check)?
Finally, and as I stated in our conversation Wednesday, at this juncture
I am pleased that it seems we may be moving forward. At the same
time, and as I stated on the phone, I am waiting to see the report you
will be generating relative to your investigation before I make any
agreements or commitments. I will also need to see the report your
office is completing for Dr. McKinney before making any final decisions.


I look forward to those reports and if you wouldn't mind letting me know
when they are completed it would be deeply appreciated.
Thank you again for your time and work.
Mark Patrick George

From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: November 3, 2014 11:02:49 AM PST
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: Concerns at VSU

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From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: November 14, 2014 7:05:15 AM PST
To: Wesley Horne <wesley.horne@usg.edu>
Bcc: John Rogers <jwrogers312@gmail.com>, Tracy Meyers
<tmeyers@valdosta.edu>, Leigh Touchton
<leigh.touchton@gmail.com>
Subject: Update Request
Hi Mr. Horne,
I just wanted to touch base with you to see where your office is with the
complaint I filed against Valdosta State University President Dr. William
McKinney and Provost Hudson Rogers? I was also wondering if your
office completed the review Dr. McKinney has requested? If either or
both of these reports are completed I would appreciate a copy of them.
Lastly, and as I have previously requested, I was wondering if you can
direct me to the Internal Revenue Service guidelines that supposedly
restrict the Valdosta State Foundation from issuing a check to Save
Our Children for the Mary Turner Project funds? I have repeatedly
been told that VSU is restricted from issuing another non-profit
organization a check and would simply like to see that policy/those
restrictions in print.
Thank you for your time.
Mark Patrick George
Mary Turner Project Coordinator

From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: December 8, 2014 6:28:09 AM PST
To: "Mark George (markpgeorge@gmail.com)"
<markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Subject: VSU Report

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From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: December 8, 2014 6:40:24 AM PST
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>
Cc: John Ruch <johnruchatlanta@gmail.com>, "Janel (CMG-Atlanta)
Davis" <Janel.Davis@ajc.com>, chancellor@usg.edu, Jade Bulecza
<jbulecza@wtxl.tv>, Winnie Wright <winnie.wright@wctv.tv>, John S
Stephen <jsstephen@valdosta.edu>, AGOlens@law.ga.gov
Bcc: Tracy Meyers <tmeyers@valdosta.edu>, Leigh Touchton
<leigh.touchton@gmail.com>, John Rogers
<jwrogers312@gmail.com>, Theresa J Grove <tjgrove@valdosta.edu>
Subject: Re: VSU Report
Seriously Mr. Horne?
So this letter is the same one you produced for Dr. McKinney's
"probe"?
Also, so I'm assuming you are not going to address USG Vice
Chancellor Tom Daniel's noncompliance with my open records request
to him?
Mark

From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: December 9, 2014 10:15:53 AM PST
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: John Fuchko <John.Fuchko@usg.edu>
Subject: RE: VSU Report

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From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: December 9, 2014 4:31:18 PM PST
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>
Cc: chancellor@usg.edu, tom.daniel@usg.edu, "Janel (CMG-Atlanta)
Davis" <Janel.Davis@ajc.com>, John Ruch
<johnruchatlanta@gmail.com>, Mike Paluska
<Mike.Paluska@cbs46.com>, Jade Bulecza <jbulecza@wtxl.tv>,
Winnie Wright <winnie.wright@wctv.tv>, John S Stephen
<jsstephen@valdosta.edu>, athenslaw@gmail.com,
sfhumphreys@gmail.com, jeff.chirico@cbs46.com
Bcc: Leigh Touchton <leigh.touchton@gmail.com>, John Rogers
<jwrogers312@gmail.com>, Tracy Meyers <tmeyers@valdosta.edu>,
Theresa J Grove <tjgrove@valdosta.edu>
Subject: Re: VSU Report
Hi Mr. Horne,
I completely understand what I requested from your office on 9/20/14.
However, per our phone conversation (10/22/14) and my email to you
on 10/24/24 (see that email at bottom of this message) I have also
asked the following questions of your office........
* Why did Dr. McKinney heed and act on the unfounded
accusations of a neo-Conferate activist named John C. Hall from
Dublin, Georgia, a person who has publicly stated Black people
are "savages" and genetically "different" from whites? Please
know that Mr. Hall's behavior continues and he contacted Dr.
Tracy Woodard (VSU's WGST Director) this week to once again
complain about me and levy a number of accusations about me.
I can provide you with that email if you would like it.
* Why haven't VSU administrators provided me with a single
policy I have been accused of violating? As you know, I have
requested said policy from VSU administrators numerous times
now to no avail.
* Why did Dr. McKinney initially defend my right to academic
freedom and free speech but change his position after USG Vice
Chancellor Tom Daniel instructed VSU administrators to "get out
in front of the Mark George letter" relative to my written response
to Mr. Hall's accusations?

* Why has my open records request for USG Vice Chancellor Tom
Daniel's emails (related to this situation) not been met? To date I
have been told by USG Records Custodian John Millsaps that
were no such documents (even though I have in my possession
emails that involve Mr. Daniel). When I questioned Mr Millsaps
about his claim I was then told that "Mr. Daniel does not retain
routine email communications and hence does not have these in
his possession." I find this statement dubious given the
documents I have, Mr. Daniel's role in the USG, and the weight of
this matter.
* Why did the Chair of Higher Education in the Georgia
Legislature, Rep. Carl Rogers feel the need to contact the USG
and encourage them to contact President McKinney about a "socalled professor" (me) that was misusing state resources for
political purposes?
Your report does not address these questions. I would still like
answers to them and as I have told you on the phone, I do not want to
have to litigate about this matter but I will if necessary. I feel that I
have been very patient about this matter and am doing all I can to
keep it out of court but I need your office to take my concerns
seriously.
In addition to these unanswered questions, and given your review
found that Vice Chancellor Daniel (nor anyone else at the System
Office) had not "withheld any responsive records" from me, can you
help me understand two things?
1) I have email communications in hand (per my open records request
of VSU President William McKinney's email) that demonstrate there
were communications (email) with/by Mr. Daniel concerning me/the
Mary Turner Project. The System Office initially claimed there wasn't
(relative to my Open Records Request to Tom Daniel). So tell me,
how can I have something, in hand, that supposed doesn't exist?
2) After I informed the USG that Mr. Daniel did communicate about this
matter (given what I possess) that they needed to redo their search
they then claimed that "Mr. Daniel does not retain routine email
communications and hence does not have these in his possession."
With that in mind, are you telling me that it is correct that a Vice
Chancellor of the USG doesn't retain daily communications, particularly
those that involve him advising a university in the university system?

Thank you for your time.

Mark George

From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: December 11, 2014 3:20:35 PM PST
To: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: John Fuchko <John.Fuchko@usg.edu>
Subject: RE: VSU Report

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From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: December 11, 2014 4:08:07 PM PST
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>
Cc: chancellor@usg.edu, Tomdaniel@usg.edu, John Ruch
<johnruchatlanta@gmail.com>, "Janel (CMG-Atlanta) Davis"
<Janel.Davis@ajc.com>, Mike Paluska <Mike.Paluska@cbs46.com>,
Jade Bulecza <jbulecza@wtxl.tv>, Winnie Wright
<winnie.wright@wctv.tv>, athenslaw@gmail.com,
sfhumphreys@gmail.com, jeff.chirico@cbs46.com,
AGOlens@law.ga.gov
Bcc:
Subject: Re: VSU Report
Mr. Horne,
Thank you for letting me know where the University System of Georgia
and its Ethics offices stands relative to actions of Valdosta State
University's President William McKinney's actions and the USG's Vice
Chancellor Tom Daniel.
Mark George

From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: December 20, 2014 4:43:39 PM PST
To: Wesley Horne <wesley.horne@usg.edu>, William J McKinney
<wmckinney@valdosta.edu>, chancellor@usg.edu
Cc: Floyd Rose <floyderose@att.net>, John Ruch
<johnruchatlanta@gmail.com>, Leigh Touchton
<leigh.touchton@gmail.com>, AGOlens@law.ga.gov, Mike Paluska
<Mike.Paluska@cbs46.com>, "Janel (CMG-Atlanta) Davis"
<Janel.Davis@ajc.com>, athenslaw@gmail.com,
jeff.chirico@cbs46.com, Dana Williams <danawilliams@valdosta.edu>,
Trina Johnson <latrinamj1186@hotmail.com>,
agrant0705@yahoo.com, atrinamj1186@hotmail.com, Randy Mcclain
<mcclain9845@gmail.com>, Suzanne R Slusser
<srslusser@valdosta.edu>, nwright6@gmail.com, Kenya Wiggins
<kewi627@gmail.com>, Jade Bulecza <jbulecza@wtxl.tv>, Winnie
Wright <winnie.wright@wctv.tv>, John Rogers
<jwrogers312@gmail.com>, Laverne Lewis Gaskins
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>, Honey Hatcher Coppage
<hhatcher@valdosta.edu>
Subject: Valdosta State University Seizure of Mary Turner Project
Funds
Mr. Horne,
Per the recent report (attached) your office generated regarding VSU's
seizure of Mary Turner Project funds (and other issues) I am
contacting you to inform you that we have explored Valdosta State
University's suggestion that we have Save Our Children Inc. "bill the
Valdosta State Foundation" so that our $277.47 might be released.
Having discussed the matter with counsel we have concluded that to
ask Save Our Children Inc. to issue a bill to VSU, for some service they
have not provided to VSU, would essentially put that organization at
risk given that such a bill would be fraudulent (since no service has/had
been provided).
With that in mind, we are once again asking you to simply release our
funds to our partner organization Save Our Children Inc. without some
fabricated bill. Given that your report rightly points out that the Mary

Turner Project was never provided a "foundation account agreement"

which would have provided restrictions regarding the "disposition of
any remaining unused funds," and given that the VSU foundation has
always honored our check requests to other organizations (as
evidenced by the cleared check I provided your office - see attached),
it is unfair to now hold the Mary Turner Project to restrictions we were
never informed about nor agreed to. Furthermore, as you and the
VSU foundation staff know, we have repeatedly requested a copy of
the IRS and/or "state and federal law" your office and VSU have used
to justify the seizure of the Mary Turner Project's funds. To date your
office and VSU have failed to provide us with that law/policy in spite of
our repeated requests for it. So I am again asking you for that specific
policy/law and the immediate release or our funds to Save Our
Children Inc.
Thank you for your time.
Mark Patrick George PhD
Mary Turner Project Coordinator
P.O. Box 141
Valdosta GA 31603
229-234-2856

From: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>

Date: December 22, 2014 6:38:57 AM PST
To: "Mark George (markpgeorge@gmail.com)"
<markpgeorge@gmail.com>
Cc: Chancellor <chancellor@usg.edu>, John Fuchko
<John.Fuchko@usg.edu>, "Kimberly B. Washington"
<Kimberly.Ballard-Washington@usg.edu>, "L L. Gaskin"
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>
Subject: FW: Valdosta State University Seizure of Mary Turner
Project Funds

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+25$&CD&2.&.$2'/$32=:""&-$2'"$63,,$+$=8&=7$?&$3..:&-$/'$0+4&$9:"$;83,-"&2$
B'"$&CD&2.&.$/8+/$>+5$?&$32=:""&-$32$/8&$B:/:"&#$$<$-3-$2'/$72'6$/8+/$5':$
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From: Mark George <markpgeorge@gmail.com>

Date: December 22, 2014 12:30:46 PM PST
To: Wesley Horne <Wesley.Horne@usg.edu>, Floyd Rose
<floyderose@att.net>, Laverne Lewis Gaskins
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>, chancellor@usg.edu
Cc: John Fuchko <John.Fuchko@usg.edu>, "Kimberly B. Washington"
<Kimberly.Ballard-Washington@usg.edu>, "L L. Gaskin"
<llgaskin@valdosta.edu>, Tracy Meyers <tmeyers@valdosta.edu>,
agrant0705@yahoo.com, Leigh Touchton
<leigh.touchton@gmail.com>, AGOlens@law.ga.gov, John Ruch
<johnruchatlanta@gmail.com>, "Janel (CMG-Atlanta) Davis"
<Janel.Davis@ajc.com>, jeff.chirico@cbs46.com, Dana Williams
<danawilliams@valdosta.edu>, Trina Johnson
<latrinamj1186@hotmail.com>, Randy Mcclain
<mcclain9845@gmail.com>, Suzanne R Slusser
<srslusser@valdosta.edu>, Peter Schmidt
<Peter.Schmidt@chronicle.com>, nwright6@gmail.com, Kenya Wiggins
<kewi627@gmail.com>, Jade Bulecza <jbulecza@wtxl.tv>, Winnie
Wright <winnie.wright@wctv.tv>, John Rogers
<jwrogers312@gmail.com>, Honey Hatcher Coppage
<hhatcher@valdosta.edu>, Mike Paluska <Mike.Paluska@cbs46.com>,
Michael G Noll <mgnoll@valdosta.edu>, John S Stephen
<jsstephen@valdosta.edu>
Subject: Re: Valdosta State University Seizure of Mary Turner
Project Funds
Mr. Horne,
I have been in touch with my friend and colleague Rev. Rose
(President of Save Our Children) and he shares the concerns I
articulated to you in my last message, relative to his organization being
asked to generate a bill VSU so that the Mary Turner Project funds
would be released to his organization. Again, to ask his organization
to bill VSU for "!"#!$%!%&$'(&)$*+,,!-.&&would put his organization, Save
Our Children, at risk.
As for actual evidence that VSU has a history of suggesting that a bill
needs to be generatedfor "!"#!$%!%&$'(&)$*+,,!-.so that it can be free
of this matter, below you'll find an email from VSU Dean Connie
Richards to Women and Gender Studies Director Tracy Woodard

Meyers. In that message Dr. Meyers was asked "to produce a

legitimate expenditure" so that the funds VSU seized from our
organization could be spent (unbeknownst to us). In short, Dr.
Meyers, after VSU attempted to pass off our organization's funds to
her VSU program, was asked "to put on an event" by Dean Richards
(who was taking direction from someone else). Such an event would
then allow Dr. Meyers to spend the Mary Turner Project's funds and it
would wash the foundation's hands of the matter. Such an event
would also have allowed VSU to spend our organization's funds (our
donors' contributions) in way the Mary Turner Project would have had
no say in or control over. To her credit and because she is a person of
integrity, Dr. Meyers refused to fulfill Dean Richard's request. Below
you'll also find Dr. Meyers response to Dean Richard'srequest.
Lastly, we find your office's passing this matter back to VSU for
resolution deeply troubling given your office acknowledged in your
"report" that our organization was never provided a"foundation
account agreement" that would have provided any restrictions
regarding the "disposition of any remaining unused funds." In sum,
we are now being held to "policy" we were never made aware of, never
agreed to, and have never been provided, and you know that.
Furthermore, your decision to trust VSU to resolve this matter is
deeply problematic because to date............
*VSU Administrators havenot produced a single relevant policy or
",!/!01$(&2!-!,1/&1$-&%(1(!&/13.&to justify the seizure of our funds, in
spite of our repeated requests for that policy/law. https://
www.scribd.com/doc/237760720/MTP-Request-for-Policy-Violations
Your office has also failed to provide us with said policy/law and a
search of the VSU website for the policy you cite in your last message
has produced nothing.
*VSU Administrators haveattempted to get internal VSU programs to
spend our funds (without our organization's and our donors'
knowledge?) so this matter would go away. (see Dean Richards' email
below)
*VSU Administrators havenot produced a single relevant policy I, as
the founder and coordinator of the Mary Turner Project, have violated
in spite of their multiple actions against our racial justice organization

(e.g. deactivation of email account, the continued collection of

donations in our name, seizure of our organizational funds,
etc.).https://www.scribd.com/doc/237760720/MTP-Request-for-PolicyViolations
*VSU Administrators (President McKinney)created this mess when he
acted on the baseless complaint of a known white separatist and NeoConfederate named John C. Hall Jr. of Dublin Georgia.https://
www.scribd.com/doc/245567083/John-C-Hall-Jr-Dublin-GA-OnlineComments
https://www.scribd.com/doc/237760467/Dr-McKinney-Emails-AboutMary-Turner-Project
*VSU Administrators havebeen inconsistent and less than honest
about their actions against our organization.https://www.scribd.com/
doc/237760467/Dr-McKinney-Emails-About-Mary-Turner-Project
*VSU Administrators havefailed to comply with Georgia Open Records
law.https://www.scribd.com/doc/237762924/MTP-Open-RecordsRequest
Furthermore, at this point we also feel that VSU Attorney Laverne
Gaskins should immediately recuse herself from this matter given that
she has been an active member of the Mary Turner Project herself (as
a financial contributor, a featured speaker at our events, etc.). In
short, there is a clear conflict of interest present. As evidence of this
reality, and with all due respect to her, you can watch Attorney Gaskins
present at one of our annual commemorations at this link (if you have
any doubt about my claim and request).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3FYDTADArY
Again, please provide our organization with the policy/law VSU is using
to hold our funds. Do not pass this matter back to VSU for resolution.
And please have the University System of Georgia direct Valdosta
State University to release our funds to Save Our Children, without any
unnecessary "billing," immediately.
Mark Patrick George PhD
Mary Turner Project Coordinator

P.O. Box 141

Valdosta GA 31603
229-234-2856
cc: Mary Turner Project Board, Dr. Tracy Woodard Meyers, Rev. Floyd
Rose
-----Original Message----From: Connie L Richards
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 2:43 PM
To: Tracy W Meyers
Subject: RE: Guidelines for Use of Discretionary Foundation Funds
Tracy,
What I was told is that you need to produce a legitimate expenditure
(such as a speaker or event associated with this project) and the
remaining money may be used for that. Could you put on an event
discussing what the Mary Turner Project has accomplished and serve
refreshments? Just an idea.
Connie

On Aug 26, 2014, at 2:57 PM, Tracy W Meyers wrote:

No I can't. The reason I can't is because I am not the Director of the
Mary Turner Project nor am I a part of the organization. I was one of
the founding members when it first started but because of my over
commitments, I resigned my membership and participation about 5
years ago. Mark was the driving force behind that initiative and now
that he is gone, the project here at VSU is being shut down. There is
not anyone left on this campus to take over the project. Therefore, that
money can't be spent under the auspice of a Mary Turner event. The
only reason I am involved now is that I was Mark's "Department Head"
and signed the check requests. He also "parked" the project here since
he moved from Sociology full time to teaching over here part time. So
WGST was it's "home base" but I am not nor do I want to be involved
as I have too many other commitments.
John Crawford and the Provost are going to have to figure out what to

do with that money in terms of what other foundation account they will
give it to. What John stated to me on the phone is that it should go
to another foundation account that has a similar mission to that of
MTP. Good luck finding it. Please tell them that there will not be a
check request coming for a "legitimate expenditure" since the project
has been shut down at VSU and that they will need to figure out where
to put that money. Thanks Tracy