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Morris Brown College reinstates President Kevin James one week after firing

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Published  January 20, 2026 2:27pm EST
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

The Brief

    • Dr. Kevin James has been reinstated as president of Morris Brown College just eight days after his abrupt termination by the Board of Trustees.
    • James, who led the school's "Hard Reset" and 2022 reaccreditation, had previously characterized his firing as a result of "board overreach."
    • The college has updated its official leadership directory to list James as president, though officials have not yet released a formal statement explaining the sudden reversal.

ATLANTA - Morris Brown College has reinstated the president it fired last week, according to the institution's website.

Morris Brown president reinstated

What we know:

Dr. Kevin James is back as president of the historically Black college (HBCU) in Atlanta. The college's website was updated to reflect the change Tuesday afternoon.

Morris Brown president fired a week ago

The backstory:

James announced on Facebook on Jan. 12 that the Board of Trustees had terminated him without providing a specific cause or a "substantive explanation." Following his ouster, the college posted a statement thanking James for his service and announcing trustee Nzinga Shaw as interim president.

Who is Kevin James?

Dig deeper:

James' biography states he has been an educator for 24 years and holds degrees from numerous universities, including Winthrop University and Troy State University. He is originally from Columbia, South Carolina.

James originally assumed the presidency at Morris Brown College on March 1, 2019. Under his leadership, the college achieved a historic turnaround, regaining its accreditation in 2022 after losing it nearly 20 years prior.

Morris Brown College president change

What they're saying:

FOX 5 has reached out to the school for comment numerous times today and is waiting to hear back.

This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates as FOX 5 learns more information. 

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5 reviewing Morris Brown College's website and past FOX 5 reporting. 

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