UPDATE: Howard University students say 5 trustees inside for discussions
— Melissa Howell (@Mhowell003)
Some of Howard University鈥檚 Board of trustees just walked inside for scheduled 9a meeting with students
— Melissa Howell (@Mhowell003)
The protestors say they will stay tonight inside the administration building, continuing their sit-in for a third day
— Michelle Basch (@mbaschWTOP)
WASHINGTON 鈥� Students announced they expect to meet with all nine members of Howard University’s Board of Trustees on Saturday morning as the sit-in at the administration building on campus enters its third day.
A meeting between student protesters and two campus trustees on Friday yielded no progress.
Students told reporters Friday evening that Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick was a no-show at the meeting, and they said negotiations won’t continue until officials get familiar with their demands.
“The most that they had seen [of the demands] was what we had posted in front of the building,”聽senior Alexis McKenney told reporters Friday evening.
The student group HU Resist has , which include adequate student housing for students under 21; an end to 鈥渦nsubstantiated tuition hikes鈥�; addressing food insecurity and gentrification in the surrounding neighborhood; and the resignation of both Frederick and the board of trustees鈥� executive committee.
鈥淭hroughout its history, Howard University has failed to prioritize the interests of its student body, and we refuse to suffer the impact of administrative negligence in silence,鈥� the group said in a statement.
The protest began Thursday amid the fallout from Wednesday confirming a 鈥渕isappropriation of university-provided financial aid funds鈥� from 2007 to 2016.
That admission came 10 months after university officials learned about that misappropriation and one day after an anonymously sourced web article alleging misconduct.
Howard’s trustees responded that characterized HU Resist’s concerns as “inaccurate.”
鈥淗ow are our demands inaccurate if board members haven鈥檛 even read them?鈥� McKenney asked Friday.
Some students said they will continue their sit-in, and even sleep-in, at the building until their demands are taken seriously.
At about 2:30 p.m. Friday, student Omavi Minder estimated that nearly 400 were inside the administration building.聽鈥淲e鈥檝e just been seeing an influx of new faces,鈥� he said.
Juan Demetrixx, a senior at the university, said protesters would remain as long as it takes.
鈥淭he most important are Wayne Frederick and the eight board of trustee members have to resign and the democratization of our university,” he said. “That is not something we can compromise on at all.鈥�
Supporters 鈥� including families and local restaurants 鈥� have been bringing food, water and other supplies to the protesters.
Ben’s Chili Bowl spokeswoman Vida Ali said the restaurant will be preparing more than 200 chili dogs for students taking part in the protests Saturday. Ali said some students are Ben’s Chili Bowl employees.
More groceries, pizza and even flowers have been delivered here. And alumni have been stopping by to talk to the protesting students and offer their encouragement
鈥� Michelle Basch (@mbaschWTOP)
鈥淲e鈥檝e just had an influx, an outpouring of love,鈥� Minder said.
In a statement Early Friday, 聽and told students that he鈥檚 listening to them.
鈥淚 am challenging my team to make the changes you are expressing a dire need to see. In addition to that, I would like to further increase the engagement with a larger and broader portion of our student body,鈥� Frederick said.
An audit found that university employees who received tuition remission also received grants, according to the president’s public statement Wednesday. The combination of these actually exceeded the total cost of attendance. As a result, the employees pocketed the difference.
WTOP’s Zeke Hartner, Michelle Basch, Patrick Roth, Will Vitka and Teta Alim contributed to this report.
