Missouri sued over alleged decades of underfunding at historically Black university
The suit seeks damages and a court order to force parity funding, citing a $361.6 million shortfall and campus harm over decades.
- On Wednesday, Lincoln University students and alumni filed a lawsuit against Missouri in U.S. District Court, alleging the state violated the Morrill Act of 1890 by failing to equitably match federal land-grant funding.
- Plaintiffs argue Missouri historically appropriated less funding per student to Lincoln than to the University of Missouri, with federal data suggesting a $361.6 million shortfall between fiscal years 1987 and 2020.
- Students cite deteriorating campus facilities lacking heat and financial hardships forcing some to work up to 30 hours weekly. Plaintiff Makhi Jaff stated Lincoln is "constantly putting Band-Aids over bullet wounds" due to limited resources.
- Attorney Don Calloway stated the suit seeks a $549 million fund and a federal consent decree ensuring future funding parity with the University of Missouri, arguing the state's failure to match federal allocations constitutes a constitutional violation.
- The 1890 Project monitors similar disparities across 16 states where federal officials identified more than $12 billion in funding shortfalls, positioning this case as a potential legal test for land-grant HBCUs nationwide.
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Missouri sued over alleged decades of underfunding at historically Black university - Regional Media News
CHICAGO, Oct 7 (Chicago) - Seven current and former students at Lincoln University of Missouri sued the state on Wednesday, alleging it violated the US Constitution and federal civil rights law by systematically underfunding the historically Black university for decades. The complaint, filed in federal [...]
Lincoln University alumni, students sue Missouri seeking $549 million
Alumni and students of Jefferson City-based Lincoln University are suing Missouri over hundreds of millions of dollars in underfunding, contending that the state failed to adhere to federal funding requirements for historically Black colleges and universities. The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleging that the […]
Lincoln U Students, Alumni Sue Missouri for $549M
Lawyers for the 1890 Project said the group plans to legislate, litigate or negotiate for repayment from all 16 states with a documented history of underfunding historically Black land-grant universities. A group of current and former Lincoln University students filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the state of Missouri, seeking $548.7 million owed to the Black land-grant institution for funds the state neglected to allocate to the universi…
HBCUs are underfunded. A legal effort starting in Missouri seeks to fix it – WTOP News
An effort to address decades of underfunding at some historically Black colleges and universities kicked off Wednesday with a lawsuit against the state of Missouri. Students and graduates of Lincoln University in the state’s capital of Jefferson City allege the lack of financial resources undercut their education and devalued their degrees. More than a dozen...
The Toronto Star
HBCUs are underfunded. A legal effort starting in Missouri seeks to fix it
An effort to address decades of underfunding at some historically Black colleges and universities kicked off Wednesday with a lawsuit against the state of Missouri.
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