Part 5 Interview With Mathew Johnson – Albion College Students and Staff are on an Island of Their Own

Editorial

Written by John Face

Photo Credit John Face

October 20, 2021

Albion College Staff and students have basically been told you are on your own because the Board of Trustees will apparently not listen to them.

Let me explain:

Earlier this year in my interview with Mathew Johnson the President of Albion College we discussed an email he sent to staff back in April. In the email in which he was complimenting staff on their work was a highly offensive You Tube video link that depicted violence against women and sexism. The email was offensive enough that staff members reached out to this writer. The video in question is not worth linking in this story as I found it offensive and folks who know me can tell you that is hard to do, offend me that is.

Johnson was made aware that the email he forwarded was considered offensive and he quickly responded. He would offer an apology to all the staff via the original email and he sent out an email to the Board of Trustees he said, explaining the email.

Below is a copy of his apology edited so none of the email addresses are shown. He claims that “in the way that I shared the email it inadvertently captured all three links” of videos that were attached. Well those who are internet savvy know that the video link could not be accidentally captured as someone had to copy the video link and add it. His “I did not mean to send it to you” comment begs the question who did he mean to send the offensive video to.

I asked him about how he was treated regarding this and had it been one of his employees would they be able to “own the impact” and apologize to keep their job? He responded saying “I suspect they would keep their job as we are a learning organization and we must be willing to show grace when someone makes a mistake”. I asked what could an employee do if they had a real issue with his email or him?

He stated “we have avenues to facilitate the employee who wishes to bring concerns about me”. He said they can go to Human Resources, the Office of Belonging as those departments are “insulated from me”. He also stated if the staff or students were still unwilling to follow those avenues they can reach out to members of the Board of Trustees. Of course this takes us back to the headline, staff and students are on an island.

Richard Lindsey is a local attorney who is doing work in helping Albion College procure property. Much of this highly publicized work is concentrating around the Washington Gardner school. Lindsey along with Johnson and other close associates of Johnson were working overtime on social media attempting to sway people to their way of thinking. There was much backlash from what they were doing and City Watch has learned that Johnson and Lindsey were told to “stay off Facebook regarding the school bond issue and the college”.

Before this blackout from them, Lindsey was crowing about how much support Johnson had. Crowing to the point that he posted this copy of an email on his personal Facebook page. Please note the date and time of the post:

Thank you Mike Harrington for giving me permission to quote you. Something needs to change, the Trustees need to remember that Albion College is one of the best colleges because of the staff and great students not because of Mathew Johnson and the Trustees.

October 20, 2021 0

Manifesto Raises Serious Concerns about Albion College and its President Mathew Johnson

Written by John Face

October 20, 2021

Editorial

As a rule City Watch will not post letters to the editor or submissions where the author is anonymous. We feel the reader deserves to know who is writing a submission. There are times such as these that some anonymity is required and this document falls into this category.

Below is a submission written by a few individuals whose identity needs to be protected. The authors are local citizens and College staff who could lose their jobs should they be linked to this. City Watch NEWS has had no hand in this document and received it just two hours ago. We do know the authors and we will protect their identity.

City Watch has reported at length on some of the items listed below and understands the plight of staff and students of what is occurring at the College. Please take a moment and read the following:

Save Albion Manifesto: Keeping Our Albion Fair

14 Points Issued October 20, 2021
Albion, Michigan

FIRST: We are hundreds of people crying out for help and demanding better Albion
College leadership.

SECOND: This is not a personal vendetta or smear campaign against Mathew Johnson.
This is the hundreds of us united in protecting Albion College from:
• further loss of reputation
• further draining of talent that has seen 70+ College employees depart due to toxic work
environment created by Mathew Johnson
• continuation of the unsustainable admissions discount rate
• continuation of unsustainable endowment spending
• decreases in enrollment due to public fights, public humiliations and instability in
Admissions
• further decreases in donations due to sinking reputation and donor confrontations with
Mathew Johnson and his Chief of Staff
• pilfering of College budgets for pet projects
• online public humiliations in news media and other platforms
• erosion of goodwill toward the College in the Albion community built up over the past
three decades

THIRD: We are not resistant nor opposed to change, nor are we revolting against it. We fully
support the goal of dismantling systemic racism and fostering a better, more inclusive, more
diverse Albion. We fully support measures enacted under Mauri Ditzler and Mathew Johnson
aimed at accomplishing this.

FOURTH: We oppose the polarization, animosity, hatred, toxic culture, and
confrontational actions and character emanating from Mathew Johnson each day he is
president of Albion College.

FIFTH: We are not racists. We condemn racist actions and ideology, including those of
Mathew Johnson, and we will always do so.

SIXTH: We condemn these and many other actions: Mathew Johnson purposefully driving a
wedge between previously united communities of Albion to achieve his desired ends; the
description of the Build Albion Fellows (local, mostly BIPOC students on full scholarships) as
“freeloaders”; the buying of the votes and influence of elected officials; the weaponization of
race in this diverse and integrated community; the villainization of our friends and neighbors; the
fear and toxic work environment Mathew Johnson has created on campus; the use of nontrackable
modes of communications among Mathew Johnson and his allies; the lies and
mistruths he spreads on a daily basis; his bullying and coercion of staff, faculty, students,
government officials and others; the labelling of donors and alumni as racist, affluent, white and
privileged (often without having met or seen them, heard about their lives, or learned whether
they are BIPOC) by Mathew Johnson and his Chief of Staff in conversations with them; the
characterization of white Albion residents and his opponents as racists; the widespread erosion
of public trust in our school bond campaign, the placement of a new Albion elementary school,
the Board of Education, the Albion City Council, and other entities and initiatives directly tied to
the overreach of Mathew Johnson; and too many other ethical crimes to note.

SEVENTH: We are many, we are diverse, we are everywhere, and we are growing. We are
students, faculty, staff, residents, alumni and donors of Albion College. We are businesspeople,
civic and nonprofit leaders, family members, and everyday citizens. We are social justice
warriors and anti-racism agitators. We are independent free-thinkers and front-line protestors.
We are Republican Party donors and Democratic Party stalwarts. We are Black, white,
Hispanic, Native American, Asian, immigrants, LBGTQ+, and all ages, religions, and abilities.

EIGHTH: But we are more than society’s labels. ALL OF US are dedicated to the fight for
racial and social justice and an inclusive, diverse, and equal Albion and Albion College.
NINTH: We are not a “small group.” Our numbers have grown to the hundreds, and each of
us is contributing to the battle to save Albion College and the Albion community from the
polarizing actions, ethical crimes and self-serving character of Mathew Johnson.

TENTH: We are not silent. We have been telling our stories, speaking our truths with friends
and strangers, taking notes, sharing satirical memes, and documenting the ethical wrongs,
cruelty, toxicity, and overreach of Mathew Johnson and his hired hitpeople ever since it became
clear he was here only for the benefit of Mathew Johnson. Again, this is not a smear campaign
nor vendetta against one man. We are using time-honored techniques to convey truths about a
troubling situation and an unscrupulous man who is doing far worse in his efforts to smear and
malign members of the campus and Albion communities.

ELEVENTH: Due to actual written and spoken threats of retaliation from Mathew
Johnson, many of us fear for ourselves, our families and our livelihoods if we come
forward. Mathew Johnson has threatened to ruin the lives of some of us, to contact our current
and future workplaces—and worse—and the evidence of this has been passed to people who
should be concerned and can make a difference.

TWELFTH: We love Albion College and the Albion community. Many of us were born here,
have raised our families here, and probably will die here. Many of us are Albionians who have
adopted the town and campus as our own. We work, sleep and live on campus and in town
every day. Many of us return to Albion for homecomings, reunions, special events, sports, to
visit friends and breathe in this beautiful space on the Kalamazoo River.

THIRTEENTH: We have nothing to gain but saving the soul of our College and town. We
will not give up this fight until Mathew Johnson is removed. We will continue to strive—for racial
and social justice in Albion and on campus, for a better Albion, and for the common good—as
we did long before Mathew Johnson arrived and as we will long after he is gone.

FOURTEENTH: We will never give up, and we will prevail.

October 20, 2021 0

Albion College FAQ is Interesting

Comments Open below

Written by John Face

Photo Credit John Face

October 7, 2021

On October 6 Albion College released a document (seen below in its entirety) that was titled FAQ but is more of a position paper with some items in it that are less than true. I will attempt to address some of the points in this FAQ, the document is long and goes from topic to topic. It starts with where the college stands on the school bond proposal and actually ends with the author explaining why Mathew Johnson doesn’t drink alcohol.

There are several claims in the FAQ that cause concern. One of the biggest is the colleges use of “YMCA” in this document. The FAQ says “greater access to the possible YMCA location in Washington Gardner”. This use of the YMCA name goes directly against requests that College President Mathew Johnson stop using their name from the YMCA Board.

The FAQ discusses surveys done by the school system. They take time to explain in television ad style how the last pollster company is so experienced yet this is what’s claimed, “Ultimately, the survey did not yield accurate and usable data”. Hmmmmmm the data showed that the new elementary school should be built beside the Opportunity High School on Watson Street and that people in general support the Bond proposal.

Other claims which are interesting is one of conflict of interest. OK let’s cut through the smoke and take a look at this.

Albion College has had several employees over the decades serve on the City Council, Andy French being the most recent. These people voted on things that involved the college and at times did not vote, this has never been an issue. Honestly I have no problem that the Mayor’s husband is Director of Campus Safety because that gives her an interesting view of the college/city relationship. So that is not a conflict, it’s legal and is ethical.

The issue that came up earlier this year was with sitting members of Albion City Council, who are not college employees, one of which, former council member Vicky Clark received a no bid contract with the college that gave the appearance of special privilege. The college can state “it’s legal” all day long, which it is, but it’s still a conflict and unethical in my opinion despite what they are telling the public.

Now let’s move on to Richard Lindsey, an attorney for the firm Abbott, Thomson, Mauldin, Parker, Beer and Rick out of Jackson MI. Lindsey is an alumnus of Albion College and is the President of the Marshall Public School board. His law firm, with him acting as lead, is doing work for the college in acquiring property that would be used for the elementary school. Now that would not be an issue nor a conflict of interest at all, he is a contracted employee and it’s legal. This is where the conflict comes:

The college states it wants the new elementary school built beside its campus, preferably near Washington Gardner, it says this in this FAQ below. The conflict with Lindsey is he’s the President of the School Board and is earning money helping the college buy land for the school near Gardner. He then will be voting on where the school will be located if the bond proposal passes. This is from the FAQ below:

“None of the individuals currently being accused of having a conflict of interest can receive any personal benefit as a result of their vote on any proposed issue before either body”

Hard to prove if being given a no bid contract is buying a vote, hard to prove if you are directly benefiting via your contract as a lawyer is buying a vote. There are those with far more knowledge in law looking into that.

The only thing missing from this FAQ are the words “Proposed Response”. Don’t worry those words will be discussed soon by City Watch.

FAQ
October 6, 2021
Questions about the Proposed School Bond
Questions about Participation of the College in Community Issues
Questions about President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill

Questions about the Proposed School Bond
What is the proposed bond for the Marshall Public Schools (MPS) district?
The Marshall Public Schools 2021 bond is a proposed $45,580,000 bond that will finance
district-wide equipment and infrastructure improvements at Marshall Middle School, Gordon
Elementary School and the Opportunity High School, athletic facility improvements at Marshall
High School and a new elementary school in Albion.
All residents who are registered to vote in Albion and Marshall, including faculty, staff and
students will have the opportunity to vote on the bond, which will be included on the November 2
ballot. You can learn more about the proposed bond on the 2021 MPS bond website.
Does the College support the bond proposal for the Marshall Public Schools district?
The College strongly supports the bond proposal for the Marshall Public Schools district. As an
institution of higher education, we believe that investing in the education of youth in our local
communities of Marshall and Albion is essential. We are eager to continue exploring partnership
possibilities with Kellogg Community College, Marshall Public Schools, Jackson Community
College, and other educational providers in the region to contribute to workforce development
and an expanded set of educational opportunities at the Opportunity High School.
We are also eager to explore new ways to partner with Marshall High School. We enjoy and hope
to expand the Partnership for Albion Community Teachers (PACT) through which the College
has invested over $150,000 to help support the training of Albion College BIPOC students who
want to be teachers in the Marshall Public Schools district. To date, six students have
participated in the program and another student is completing the program this year.
Why is the construction of a new elementary school in Albion important?
The College strongly supports the construction of a new elementary school located in the City
of Albion as part of the bond. Several planned economic development initiatives will create the
opportunity for new families to move to Albion over the next few years including >9000 acres of
solar development, more than $18m of downtown development, planned enrollment growth at the College, and other planned economic development activity. A new elementary school will be
critical to assuring that the majority of the new families associated with this economic growth
settle in Albion. We believe strongly that Albion cannot rebuild its population base without a
new elementary school to support children and families in this community.
Many current families in Albion are sending their elementary students out of the district because
of the conditions of the current elementary school in Albion. Children and teachers in Albion do
not have the same quality facility, educational opportunities, or resources as those in Marshall.
We believe strongly that the commitments made by the Marshall Public School District during
the annexation cannot be kept without investment in a new elementary school in Albion as part
of this bond.
The elementary school is also necessary for the College to remain healthy and grow, providing
more jobs and more economic activity to the City and the region. As the College has diversified
our student body, we have come to understand the best practices for retention and academic
success of our new student population. One key element is the diversification of our faculty and
staff which will necessitate the recruitment of new families into Albion. As the College recruits
and hires new staff and faculty, many from diverse backgrounds and locations across the
country, one of the persistent questions that present itself is “What are the schools like for my
elementary-aged children?” Questions about the inclusivity of the broader community, about the
resources available to families and children, and about the College’s role in building more equity
in the community often come up.
Additionally, college students who engage deeply in long-term community engagement,
committing to a community agency like a school as part of their College experience, enjoy
greater levels of academic success. This generation of college students, like the new staff and
faculty are also asking questions about the College’s role in building more inclusivity and equity
with and in the greater community. The more successful Albion College students are, the
greater the financial and reputational health of the College, and the greater the positive
economic impact the College can have in the City. The success of both the City and the College
relies on this mutual interdependence.
What services will the College provide to a new elementary school if one is built?
We have not produced a list of services and benefits we believe would likely flow from the
College to the elementary school as some have asked for us to do. This is because we have
been listening carefully to the needs and hopes of the community about what the College’s role
might be. From our perspective, the development of these services needs to be done in
partnership with the school district and the broader community as partners where we can learn
about needs and aspirations and develop a shared vision for our partnership.
Nevertheless, as a result of the many community conversations we have been a part of, we are
convinced that there are urgent opportunities for a wide variety of paraprofessional roles

currently not possible with the limited financial resources of the district that college students
could fill with appropriate training and oversight including but not limited to classroom aides,
mentors and tutors, parent engagement coordinators, and after school program facilitators. We
are also convinced that there are many opportunities to collaborate on program enhancements
utilizing College faculty expertise and College facilities like the greenhouse, the Whitehouse
Nature Center, the science complex, the various arts facilities and the library just to name a few.
We know that the closer the school is to the College the better the educational outcomes are
likely to be for the elementary students. This is supported by research that shows that the
involvement of well-trained college students in elementary schools in paraprofessional roles
positively impacts the educational outcomes of students in the school. The closer a school is to
the central campus of a College, the more frequently and more deeply students will engage. A
site that is not adjacent to the College will significantly limit student engagement.
For these reasons we strongly support the bond and the sighting of the school adjacent to the
College. However, we are committed to doing everything we can to support a new elementary
school wherever it is located.
Where will the new elementary school be located? Who will decide this?
Currently, multiple locations are under consideration for the new elementary school in Albion.
One of the proposed sites is adjacent to Washington Gardner on land currently owned by the
College. We have discussed other possible sites on land currently owned by the College that is
also adjacent to the campus. If any of these sites are selected, the College will donate the land
to MPS. MPS will be the sole owner of the land and the new school building and will follow all
required processes in the design and build of the school independent of the College. The
resulting school will be a Marshall Public School and will be under the sole control of the
school district. The College will only play a partnership role, responding to needs identified by
the community as it is able.
While there are multiple options for a new elementary school on land currently owned by the
College and adjacent to campus, we believe that the adjacency to Washington Gardner has
some unique benefits including greater access to healthcare at Munger Place, greater access to
the possible YMCA location in Washington Gardner, proximity to downtown and placement
within the center of the heatmap of school-aged children currently living in Albion.
Is the site adjacent to Washington Gardner environmentally safe?
The site is located at the corner of East Michigan Ave. and Berrien Street and covers the current
and former locations of the State Farm office, Anna’s Flowers, and college property behind
Munger Place. The College is not aware of any reason to suspect that this site is not
environmentally safe. None of this space is part of the former industrial sites further north on
Berrien Street. The College has done environmental testing of the current Washington Gardner site, across the street from the proposed school site, and determined that site has no safety
concerns. MPS will need to complete the required environmental testing of any site considered.
How has Marshall Public Schools collected data on the school bond?
Between April and May of 2021, MPS administered an online survey to gather initial data to
inform decisions around the bond. Unfortunately, the survey was not designed and distributed in
a way that supported the collection of clear, objective data. Specifically, the survey did not
restrict the number of responses per individual and did not track their residency. As a result,
there were multiple documented incidents of individuals answering multiple times and
significantly skewing the data.
President Johnson recommended that Interim Superintendent Becky Jones consult a
professional survey organization to get accurate and usable data and referred her to the Siena
College Research Institute (SCRI), one of the most respected research centers in the country.
SCRI provides polling services for the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and a variety of other
major media outlets as well as state agencies, community organizations, and corporations.
SCRI, in consultation with the Superintendent and other MPS staff, developed the survey. No
member of the College was involved in the development or deployment of the survey. When
asked if the College would pay for the survey, the administration agreed to do so as a means to
support the collection of more accurate and usable data. Ultimately, the survey did not yield
accurate and usable data. You can read more and view the results of both surveys on the 2021
MPS bond website.
Questions about Participation of the College in Community Issues
How does the College safeguard against conflicts of interest?
The College takes seriously its responsibility to maintain active and collaborative relationships
in the local community while maintaining the highest ethical standards. At a recent meeting of
the Albion City Council, Mayor Snyder pointed out that in a small town like Albion, it is important
to understand the precise definition of conflict of interest because it is likely many would have
perceived conflicts. These perceived conflicts, she suggested, are not grounds for limiting the
service of elected officials or there would be few who could serve. Conflicts of interest are
precisely defined in the Code of Ethics of the City Council. However, some individuals in the
community are trying to limit the ability of elected officials (City Councilors and MPS School
Board Members) to vote on public issues the College has expressed an opinion on by alleging
that any relationship they have with the College creates a conflict of interest.
The College does have relationships with many elected officials. These include employment
relationships, charitable relationships, and contractual relationships. This has always been the
case, as is natural in a small town. None of the individuals currently being accused of having a
conflict of interest can receive any personal benefit as a result of their vote on any proposed

issue before either body. Therefore, we strongly believe that none of those relationships
creates a conflict of interest in any currently proposed vote at the City Council or MPS Board.
Why has the College been investing in property in Albion?
The College has been purchasing a variety of properties in different parts of the City. Most of the
property has been offered for sale before we purchase it. In some cases, we have utilized an
attorney to approach property owners to gauge interest in selling. Where property we have
acquired has been occupied by tenants, we have offered to work with tenants to either remain in
their current rented space or to help facilitate moving to a new location.
The College uses a variety of realty agencies and follows ethical standards when acquiring
property. These purchases have been made and are being considered for the following
reasons:
● The College needs to increase available housing and create surplus housing for students
as we renovate existing properties.
● The College is trying to assist new employees with finding affordable, high-quality
housing in the community to support their engagement in the life of the residential
college. This has been a significant challenge recently, and we are doing everything in
our power to help facilitate access to housing.
● The College may build new academic buildings as part of our future growth.
● The College is interested in creating more appropriate parking options for our students
and in building affordable housing in the community.
Questions about the College Comprehensive Campus Plan
Has the College shared the Comprehensive Campus Plan with members of the community and
incorporated community input?
Yes, the College has shared several drafts of the Comprehensive Campus Plan plan with
members of the community for input. Specifically, the plan has been shared with the City
Council and City Administration, the Economic Development Corporation, and other
stakeholders in the community. Input from those meetings has been considered as the plan was
developed. This fall, we will be publicly sharing the full Comprehensive Campus Plan as part of a
web presence that will feature regular updates.
What is the plan for student housing as part of the Comprehensive Campus Plan?
The College’s Comprehensive Campus Plan includes ideas about the potential renovation and
expansion of student housing. We are aware that our housing must be improved to be reflective
of what students and families expect in the current market. We are evaluating options for a
variety of scenarios to create the required housing needed including adding new buildings,
renovating some of the houses we have acquired for student housing, and renovating the
buildings that currently house the fraternities. Our primary initial goal is to create enough
surplus housing to hold some or all of Wesley Hall open for renovation. We will begin

renovations of currently empty floors of the buildings that house fraternities this fall. We will
continue to update the community as the scenario planning progresses.
Is there enough space on the site of Washington Gardner for a new athletic arena?
Over a year of planning by our architectural and design firms have confirmed that there is more
than enough space to accommodate an athletic arena that would be large enough to be
competitive with the arenas in the MIAA in our new facility. We are currently working to finalize
the design options within the approved budget and hope to be ready to share a more complete
picture of what the Body and Soul Center will look like in the coming months.
What is the timeline for the Washington Gardner as the Body and Soul Center project?
While we have a project timeline that lays the sequence of work out over a 36-48 month period
for the entire redevelopment of Washington Gardner, that timeline does not account for the
potential delays we may face throughout the project. For example, we are currently managing a
delay in the delivery of concrete vaults to complete the extension of steam from the central
steam plant to the construction site. Until supply chains become more predictable, it is more
accurate to share the stages as a set of sequential steps rather than a timeline.
● Stage 1 will be the completion of utilities and infrastructure upgrades necessary to begin
the project as well as site work to prepare the ground and the exterior of the current
structure for the project.
● Stage 2 will be the construction of the addition on the back of the existing structure and
some limited modification of the current building.
● Stage 3 will include the modifications of the current building.
We hope to complete Stage 1 by early Spring 2022 and complete Stage 2 by Spring 2023.
Questions about President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill
How long will President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill be a part of the Albion Community?
At the time of his hire, President Johnson discussed the value of long-term executive leadership
for the stability of the College and the community, and multi-year transformational challenges
faced by the college with the Board of Trustees. President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill made a
commitment to build a life here and have every intention of serving the College for as long as
the Board of Trustees believes their contributions are effective. President Johnson is currently
entering the second year of a five-year contract that can be renewed or extended by the Board of
Trustees.
The Board of Trustees is in strong support of President Johnson’s vision and leadership of the
college. Michael Harrington, Chair of the Board of Trustees, has expressed the unwavering
support of the Board of trustees in letters to Alumni and in his Inauguration Comments.

Why do President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill abstain from drinking alcohol?
President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill have chosen to be in solidarity with members of the
community who chose not to consume alcohol and recreational drugs. People who chose to be
substance-free are often overlooked and excluded from opportunities because they do not
participate in substance use. Nationally 20% of college students chose not to use and many
struggle to find a place where they feel that they belong while at college. Many other staff and
faculty at Albion College have chosen to be substance-free. People choose to be substance-free
for a wide variety of reasons which may include trauma from experiences with addiction in their
family, religious reasons, medical reasons, and their own personal recovery status.
President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill have worked to create the first truly substance-free intentional
community for student housing now located on Burr Oak. This community provides a safe place
for students wishing to live in a fully substance-free place while attending Albion College.
Consumption of alcohol in the presence of President Johnson and Dr. O’Neill during social
functions at which alcohol is provided does not bother them. Their choice is a personal choice
and they respect the personal choices of others who follow the law and the College policies
with regard to alcohol. It is important to them that all feel comfortable in their presence and
that is why they will often work with catering to make alcohol available for those who prefer it
at the social events they host.

October 11, 2021 0

College President Mathew Johnson Linked to Deal With City Council Woman

Editorial – Comments section open below

Written by John Face

Photo Credit John Face

October 11, 2021

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_0526-2-3.jpg

On August 13 of this year this writer sat down with Albion College President Mathew Johnson for an interview where many subjects were covered. City Watch wrote a story back on September 12 that attempted to address potential situations between Johnson and City of Albion Council members.

One of the things that was discussed was the college offering a no bid contract to then City Council member Vicky Clark for janitorial services. You can read the story here:

INTERVIEW WITH ALBION COLLEGE PRESIDENT MATHEW JOHNSON – Part 2 – Does this pass the smell test?

Clark has since resigned her seat on the Council as she has moved.

City Watch then addressed Council member Linda LaNoue regarding her position at the college. It was when I asked about Council member Nora Jackson that raised flags for this writer. President Johnson was asked if Jackson was able to use Washington Gardner for free for her non-profit Difference Makers? Johnsons reply was quick as he said “you have to ask the YMCA because she works with them for space”.

Immediately after the last answer from Johnson, he went into dialog about Albion City Council member Lenn Reid. This quick change of subject struck this writer as odd. Again read the story link above for clarification. City Watch has been working for several weeks since the interview to find out what exactly the relationship, if any, between Johnson, Jackson and the YMCA may be.

This weekend City Watch was allowed to view emails exchanged between Jackson and the YMCA. In the email that was sent to the Y from Nora Jackson on September 29, and copied on the email is Mathew Johnson for some unknown reason, a long request by Jackson about using Washington Gardner again for her group Difference Makers. Specifically the email said “We Difference Makers would like to know if we could continue our program in the space we used during the summer months?” The implication being that as Johnson said in his interview that the YMCA had control over the usage of Washington Gardner space that Jackson and her group used.

Now why Jackson attached President Johnson to the email between her and the YMCA if the College and he had nothing to do with the deal is interesting. That is another question for another day.

The reply to Jackson and Johnson, from the YMCA was one that showed the YMCA had no control over who used Washington Gardner. The quote “The Y does not own the space at Washington Gardner and we have no authority to approve or deny a request for its use. The use of that space is a decision made between you and the College”. Clearly the YMCA has no authority or control of Washington Gardner. What this email appears to be doing by Jackson is to establish a history which does not exist.

Why is this a concern? Johnson knew when he denied to this writer that Albion College allowed Jackson to use the facility for free, which is another example of a City Council member getting a deal from the college. As in the article link above I asked does this pass the smell test? Johnson tried to talk away the Clark deal, but now lumped together with this deal for Jackson there are serious and potentially legal questions that need to be addressed.

When benefits are being given to elected members of Albion City Council we all should step up and ask questions.

October 11, 2021 0

Ethics – Real Questions Need Answering

Written by John Face

September 30, 2021

Editorial

As Richard Lindsey who is an attorney with the firm Abbott, Thomson, Mauldin, Parker, Beer and Rick out of Jackson MI worked his social media campaign supporting Albion College and its President Mathew Johnson there was one thing he was failing to do and that was disclose his relationship to Albion College. I am not talking about his being an alumnus of Albion College as that is one thing he has long been proud of, as he should be.

I am talking about his law firm representing Albion College in matters of purchasing property around the campus and around Washington Gardner. I am talking about Lindsey as being the attorney personally doing the leg work so to speak for the firm trying to buy property.

Lindsey has made a point to prove what is “fact or fiction”, even to the point of invoking my name in one of his rants. All the while he was being super champion of Johnson and the college he did not publically disclose the financial relationship between himself, his firm and the college. That disclosure only came after he must have heard that I was looking into his connections with the college. I mean literally hours after I was asking questions about this connection with an individual who is selling their property.

So Lindsey got on social media, specifically Facebook and spoke of many things that are legal, fact or fiction and giving examples of legal precedent to back up his legal claims, and oh yeah he mentioned without much fanfare that he was gaining financially representing the college.

Now that last point has gone quietly to the side and it should be front and center. Let me state this it appears it is legal for Lindsey to do this and I certainly don’t begrudge a man making a living. The issues are much larger and let’s state them.

Richard Lindsey is the President of the Marshall Public School Board of Education. Richard Lindsey is an alumnus of Albion College. Richard Lindsey is a big supporter of Albion College President Mathew Johnson. Richard Lindsey is an attorney with Abbott, Thomson, Mauldin, Parker, Beer and Rick out of Jackson MI, the firm making money off the college acquiring property for the college. Richard Lindsey supports the Bond issue that will be on the November Ballot, we know this because he voted to put it before the voters.

Read the previous paragraph again. Is this ethical? That’s a good question. It appears that it is legal for Lindsey to represent the college but ethical? Ethics are more than rules set up but professional organizations and Boards. Ethics are in your own heart. Ethics add to your moral compass that we all should have, most certainly someone who has been entrusted with leading our school district. Is Lindsey being ethical? You decide.

Complete disclosure: I have known Richard Lindsey for around 6 years. I met him during the yes campaign for annexation and he was a fountain of information for me then. We have continued to have a friendship since and have enjoyed meeting with each other socially as well. Richard represented me as my attorney during the City of Albion’s investigation that included the Cities attempt to get information from me about my sources. Of course the city got nothing but still Richard sat with me and guided me legally during my interview. I do not have an axe to grind regarding Richard but I will not sit still and have him imply that I have been dishonest and incomplete in my reporting. That is not going to happen. I walk the streets knowing I have been ethical in this entire situation regarding Albion College and Mathew Johnson. The fact is folks I considered Richard Lindsey a friend. Apparently that friendship was one sided. Lesson learned.

Comments open on this article.

September 30, 2021 0

Albion College Has Connection to Siena College Polling Organization

Written by John Face

Photo by John Face

September 25, 2021

Odd Calls

As the phone calls in the Albion area continued from Siena College many asked why a school in New York would care about doing a Poll regarding a local bond issue. For those who don’t know Marshall Public Schools has a bond issue on the ballot and a group from Siena College, at least that is what caller I.D. says who is calling, has been conducting a phone survey in the community. Many people have received different levels of information from the callers about who they are and in some cases had the caller hang up and those who completed the survey.

Victoria Garcia-Snyder the City of Albion’s Mayor, had a post on her Facebook page that caught the attention of this writer and I am sharing this with her permission:

“Things that make you go ‘Hmmmm’ – Got a message on my City Hall Line from Megan Crawford from Siena College. She stated that she heard that I had issues with my call last night and wanted to talk about the conversation.

How did you know that I had an issue?

How did you get either of my numbers?

How did you know that the Mayor of Albion received a call that ended abruptly with one of your callers?

Creepy and Bizarre!”

Snyder is entitled to be concerned by a call such as this. I have not been able to contact Ms. Crawford yet as I would like to know who the client is for this poll. The call that Ms. Crawford alludes to is a reference to this Facebook post from the Mayor:

“Ok, so I decided to finally pick up the call from Siena College. When I asked why it was important to confirm if my # was a personal cell # or not, she stated that she couldn’t ask me further questions…….WTF??”

City Watch NEWS became aware early on of a connection between Albion College and Siena College. Mathew Johnson the President at Albion is an alumnus of Siena and even had Dr. Donald Levy as a speaker at Johnson’s inauguration on September 18 in Albion. Levy is employed with Siena and apparently has a long professional history and friendship with Johnson.

The Phone Pollsters, Albion Style

In the fall of 2020 Albion College struggled to have classes on campus much the same as Colleges and Universities around the world but still pulled it off. The student body struggled as well due to the fact that many students who depended on earning extra money were not able to because of the pandemic restrictions.

Dr. Johnson came up with an idea and contacted his alma mater and reached out to Levy who is the Director of the Siena College Research Institute in New York. They head studies and polling in partnership with the New York Times and other media outlets.

Albion College purchased 50 lap tops that were then loaded with Siena programs that ran their polling software, it is unknown by this writer if Albion had to pay for the software. Then students were recruited to do telephone polling for the New York Times who was the client of Siena and Siena sub-contracted with Albion College and paid the college and students for their services. The students benefitted from this agreement, which is good, but this does show a direct link between Siena polling and Albion College.

Now what is unknown by this writer is what happened to the laptops once the polling contract was completed. They may have been given to students to use for remote learning according to one source or they remain on campus waiting to be used again according to another source.

One of my sources expressed concern when they heard about the mystery calls occurring in Albion and said that they were afraid the poll was being conducted locally to “test the loyalty of staff by President Johnson”. It should be noted that there is no proof of that as almost all recipients of the calls have no real connection to Albion College.

City Watch will continue to follow up as needed.

September 25, 2021

Part 4 Smoke and Mirrors Try To Detract From Real Questions for Dr. Johnson

Editorial

Written by John Face

Photo Credit John Face

September 24, 2021

As Dr. Mathew Johnson’s supporters spread out over social media and the community it’s worth me taking time to address that as best I can. One person I spoke with in all my interviews said “Johnson is good at insulating himself by having others do the dirty work even if it makes those supporters look like fools”. Now that is hard to prove but it has become clear that Johnson supporters are in full frontal attack.

I released a story that dealt with the connections of Albion City Council members and Johnson. I started with the no bid contract that Vicky Clark received from Albion College for cleaning services at four buildings on campus. Clark at the time was the Precinct 1 Council member and has resigned her seat since the release of the story as she has moved out of the precinct. In this story never did this writer state it was illegal for her to receive the contract, but the question is does this contract appear appropriate.

The fact is Johnson knew Clark was going to receive the contract prior to it being signed. The issue that needs to be answered without smoke and mirrors is wouldn’t it have been better to put the contract up for bid for all minority cleaning services before giving a no bid contract to a sitting member of council? If this had gone through that process, whether the way it was ultimately done is legal or not, suspicions would have been easily dismissed.

Despite what you are being told, it is a no bid contract that Clark received because the contract was given to her and no one else had a chance at it. Poor legal arguments describing it as anything else is just smoke and mirrors.

As far as the other members of council allow me to address Lenn Reid. I am not really sure why Ms. Reid would be upset with the writer. If she or anyone else actually read the article they would have seen that this writer never questioned her actions regarding the Holland Park project and did not bring her up to Johnson. No that would be Dr. Johnson who demanded that she be added to my list of questionable relationships between the college and Council members “because people in the community are saying that was done for influence”, he said. This writer has defended Ms. Reid and the project as far as what was done by the college regarding Holland Park.

There are real questions that need to be answered by Johnson and not by his defenders that are beholding to him financially.

Such as where does the college expect to find money for his Washington Gardner project? Is what City Watch NEWS heard that Johnson has told different leaders in the community if the Marshall Public School Bond fails his plan is to build and open a Charter School at the location he wants a Marshall Elementary School built true? It is public knowledge that Johnson wants an Elementary school built there.

Why couldn’t he or his attorney that handled the WG Construction application to the state actually use the College address instead of his address? Psst took me less than 30 seconds to look it up, 611 East Porter Street. Is it a good idea for him to hire the Law firm that the Marshall School board President works for? Is it a good idea for him to have that school board president go to residents asking to purchase homes for cash for an anonymous buyer that turns out to be the College is the buyer?

These are a few of many questions that Johnson needs to answer, not his defenders. The public has grown tired, with proof of many text messages and phone calls I have received, of Johnson supporter’s lip service while he hides and doesn’t answer any more tough questions in public. So when the Johnson defenders, especially those who are making money off the college, try to answer these questions I would ask you politely ask them to shush, and tell them to tell Johnson it’s his turn to talk to this writer.

I will be back in a couple days with more.

September 24, 2021

Phone Survey Suspicious – Unknown who is Behind It

Written By John Face

September 23, 2021

Over the last several days multiple people are stating they are receiving a phone call for a survey about the local Marshall Public School Bond proposal. Several people have stated that when they asked the caller who is paying for the survey the caller quickly hangs up. In Michigan it is against the law to conduct surveys and not identify your organization and the purpose.

When caller ID does show it displays what is in this photo. Siena College is located in Loudonville New York. It is unknown if this is legitimate or some kind of computer generated ID unrelated to the college, City Watch is working to identify the source hopefully in the coming days.

At this time City Watch is passing along advice from election officials that it is best to hang up on callers who refuse to identify themselves as it is difficult to determine if the caller is a legitimate organization.

September 23, 2021

Petition Drive Demanding Removal from Office Of College President “Falling on Deaf Ears”

Written by John Face

September 16, 2021

This morning City Watch NEWS spoke with two signers of the change.org petition drive that asks for the removal of Mathew Johnson as President of Albion College. Both students requested to remain anonymous for fear of retribution and City Watch agreed with this request.

Student #1 a Senior, said that the petition drive was needed to try and remove the President. They said “the fact that students and people of the community have to stand up to a bully like this is sad”. They said that real change can only occur “when the Board of Trustees listens to us and does their job in removing him”. The student said there are legitimate concerns regarding his ability to lead and to make change. This student claims the administrations “attack via social media since the petition began” is an example of telling “just enough of the truth” to make his story look good.

I asked as a Senior would they compare Dr. Johnson to former President Dr. Ditzler? Student 1 said “there is absolutely no comparison. Dr. Ditzler wasn’t perfect but at least he treated people with respect and you felt like he cared for us where Dr Johnson does not”.

Student # 2 is a Freshman at the college and came to Albion because of its efforts to diversify its student body and its history as a strong academic institution. They said their impression of Dr. J was very good at the start of the school year. That would change quickly as they shared their concerns as “Dr. J tends to talk down to people and is quite mean”.

The student claimed they experienced first hand how Dr. J could be on how he dealt with a friend, “he made them feel like a second class person as he criticized the friend in front of them”. I asked what the topic was that caused this interaction. They said they “won’t say because he could figure out who I am”.

When I asked if real change will come from the petition both stated likely not. Student 1 said “it’s falling on deaf ears” it appears as far as the Board of Trustees go. I asked if there is any plan for an organized protest this week for the Presidents inauguration. Both replied none that they were aware of. I asked them both if there was a protest would they participate and both said yes, there is “safety in numbers” student 1 said.

I asked the students if they have tried to speak directly to the President, both said no. Student 2 stating “I am afraid of him so the last thing I want to do is put myself out there like a target”.

I asked them what message would they want to get out to the Trustees and community at large. They both agreed with Student 1’s statement, “tell the Trustees to help us, please remove him before he bankrupts the College and ruins its standing in the country”.

Again a message to students and staff, feel free to reach out to me at facej781@gmail.com if you wish to talk.

Here is a link to the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/albion-college-remove-dr-mathew-johnson-from-albion-college

September 16, 2021

Part 3 – Interview with Albion College President Mathew Johnson

Editorial

Written by John Face

September 14, 2021

City Watch NEWS

As my editorial yesterday regarding Albion College President Mathew Johnson and the Albion City Council was rolled out, it received the responses I expected. Johnson’s detractors were pleased to see something reported about him while his supporters rolled out the company line of “the college doesn’t have to do a no bid process as they are not a government agency” and other attacks over social media.

One of Johnson’s supporters actually blamed me and my article for hurting the school bond proposal coming to the voters in November. Claiming that people are using it as a way to show that there are problems here. This may be true that they are using it that way. The fact is, the editorial I wrote has nothing to do with the bond proposal and everything to do with actions of the president and council members.

My concern has and still is why Johnson would lack the forethought to realize that giving a no bid contract to a member of council was a bad idea. I stated in the story that he said her being a council member had nothing to do with the selection. Yet, Johnson knew when he referred her to his chief of operations and before she signed a contract, she was an Albion City Council member. Wouldn’t opening it up for bids for minority companies have been the best and safest way “to keep himself out of the process” as he said?

So I sit here today asking questions. Why have so many staff left Albion College? Staff with decades of institutional experience that could make a new president look good. Why are students risking their education to publically call out the college president and ask for his removal? Why are employees, many of whom I have spoken to afraid to stand up to him? Why did Johnson have the public relations firm, Identity, out of Bingham Farms, MI email me regarding questions I submitted to him for follow-up? He agreed to answer them via email in connection to this interview and for a subsequent story. Why am I now requested to go through a PR firm hired by him and the college?

I will end this short entry today with asking Dr. Johnson for the promised follow-up interview for more questions and answers.

To the staff and students at Albion College in my interview Johnson stated that you can go to Human Resources and even to the Board of Trustees to share your concerns. I would also say feel free to reach out to me at facej781@gmail.com, I will not betray you.

September 14, 2021