Newly appointed president at Florida Memorial University stays, judge rules

Florida Memorial University will keep William McCormick as its newly appointed president following a month-long legal battle among the university’s board of trustees, a judge ruled. The ruling also affirms that Walter Weatherington, Sr., is the president of the school’s board of trustees.

FMU announced the news Monday, and confirmed McCormick, an alum of the institution, as their president. “With his proven record in business and an unwavering commitment to the university, it’s our time,” Weatherington said in a statement. “President McCormick embodies the spirit of FMU, and his leadership will be instrumental in navigating the challenges ahead.”

The ruling came after the university became embroiled in a controversy between two warring factions in the board of trustees over the legality of the appointment of McCormick as president.

RELATED: ‘A coup’: Trustees of Florida Memorial University dispute vote for new president

At the heart of the controversy was the question of who was the legitimate chair of FMU’s Board of Trustees — Brandon K. Dumas, who claimed in a motion that he was appointed to the position in May, or Weatherington, who FMU’s website lists as the board chair. Per Dumas’ filing, Weatherington had been on the board for 11 years and had already termed out. Dumas’ motion states that any decisions made in meetings with Weatherington claiming the chair seat are illegitimate.

In his ruling, Judge Javier Enriquez said that Weatherington’s “evidence refutes the plaintiff’s allegations competently.” As a result, Dumas’ request for a temporary injunction was denied. Dumas told the Herald that he and his attorney are filing a request for reconsideration, citing “inconsistencies and inaccuracies” in the filings from the defendants.

On Aug. 21, Florida Memorial University announced McCormick as the president of the only HBCU in South Florida, after he served more than a year in an interim capacity. Less than 24 hours after the university posted the announcement on Facebook, Dumas shared a letter denouncing the appointment, calling the vote illegal and alleging that select members of the board had staged a “well thought-out coup.”

“Let us be absolutely clear: this presidency was obtained illegally. The meeting that facilitated this alleged vote, which none of us attended, was never properly noticed to the Board, the matter of selecting a permanent president was never mentioned to the full Board, and the action taken is in direct violation of our bylaws and the established processes for presidential selection,” read the letter, which had support from seven other board members and a former board chair.

Dumas filed several motions for injunctions over the summer asking the court to block a faction of FMU trustees from conducting “rogue” meetings, overturn prior unsanctioned actions, and protect the university from governance chaos and accreditation risks. Weatherington and board members Audrey White, and Bernard Jennings are named in the filings.

Peter Homer, who represents Weatherington and White said Dumas was ousted from the board during a July 22 meeting and said Dumas has a history of filing lawsuits against former employers. “He is a serial litigant against his employers. He’s been involved in litigation with other traditional, historic Black colleges and universities that he’s worked for, [a] similar type of M.O. that we’re seeing here: filing a lawsuit, going out and getting publicity,” Homer said during the hearing. “For a person who claims that he’s trying not to injure the university, it’s extremely anomalous for him to do that.”

This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 6:16 PM.