HOUSTON
Students at Texas Southern University often have to work their way through college, and most of them need financial aid to follow in the footsteps of alumni Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland at the historically Black, open-enrollment university.
But the school’s now former president, Dr. Priscilla Slade, dressed in Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. Her 25-place dinner set cost $40,000. Her couch cost $17,800.
The former accounting professor was using university money to dress, decorate and landscape her house, take spa treatments and exercise classes.
The scandal outraged the city and Slade, with her sleek-coiffed hair and dazzling smile, became a symbol of excess. Prosecutors charged her and two associates with crimes that could have put them behind bars for life.
But that didn’t happen. After two high profile trials, including a mistrial, the cases are ending with little fanfare. After a mistrial, Slade agreed to pay back $127,000 of the more than $500,000 she misspent from the university. Former TSU vice president Bruce Wilson agreed to pay back $12,000. Charges were dropped against another defendant.
The only conviction prosecutors obtained was against Quintin Wiggins, TSU's former chief financial officer. Wiggins was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but after little more than a year in prison, he was approved for parole earlier this month.
“It’s clearly not what the prosecution originally envisioned when they started this case,” said Michael Wynne, a Houston attorney not connected to the case.
The allegations against Slade coincided with the discovery of a pattern of financial mismanagement at TSU. Gov. Rick Perry demanded the resignations of the entire nine-member board of regents and the state put $13 million in funding on hold.
The case tarnished TSU’s reputation and the new leaders say they are working to rebuild it.
“We have not been focused on these cases,” said Glenn Lewis, the new chairman of TSU's Board of Regents. “We are focused more on the future. I think that's the best approach to it.”
