Southwestern College President Liz Frombgen told donors in July she became aware of more than $1.2 million dollars raised for a new athletic center was used in 2020 to pay for operating costs for the college under SC’s previous administration, according to a report Tuesday from the Cowley CourierTraveler.
Efforts by Cowley Post to reach former Southwestern College President Brad Andrews Wednesday afternoon were not successful. Andrews has been the president of Brevard College in North Carolina since January 2022 after six years as the president of SC in Winfield.
In a follow-up letter to donors on Aug. 4, Frombgen, who was selected as the 20th president of Southwestern in April 2022, said the “misapplication of funds” was discovered in May and happened prior to August 2020.
The CourierTraveler says the $1.2 million in question was meant for the Bruce DeHaven Athletic Center and that the campaign for it is led by SC alumnus Richard Jantz.
Jantz, who the Moundbuilders football stadium is named after, has been pushing for a facility to honor DeHaven, his former college roommate, the paper said.
DeHaven had a long career as a special teams coordinator in the NFL — including with the Buffalo Bills when the franchise went to four-straight Super Bowls in the early 90s.
Jantz told the paper he thinks the situation “criminal” and “fraud.”
Frombgen told donors the college’s board of trustees approved to hire a law firm to lead an investigation into how the funds were used.
The CourierTraveler says Frombgen told donors the DeHaven Center is still something she wants the college to support.
“In the meantime, I apologize on behalf of the College,” Frombgen wrote. “I am heartbroken, but we continue to move forward. The DeHaven Center project is a top priority, and the College and I remain committed to fully funding and completing the DeHaven Center.”
In August 2022, Southwestern announced $2.4 million in expenditure reductions for the upcoming fiscal year. In November, SC announced the elimination of eight majors and two minors, due to low enrollments and personnel transitions.
