Daijiworld Media Network - Missouri
Missouri, Oct 8: Seven current and former students of Lincoln University of Missouri have sued the state, alleging that the historically Black university has been systematically underfunded for decades in violation of the US Constitution and federal civil rights law.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, seeks compensatory damages under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act for what the plaintiffs describe as educational and economic injuries caused by decades of inadequate funding.
The plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction requiring Missouri to fully match Lincoln University's federal land-grant funding in the future. They said additional funding is needed for campus repairs, faculty recruitment, student services, financial aid and agricultural research programmes.
Lincoln University, located in Jefferson City, is Missouri's first historically Black land-grant institution, while the University of Missouri serves as the state's predominantly white land-grant university.
According to the complaint, Missouri appropriated less funding per student to Lincoln than to the University of Missouri in most fiscal years between 1987 and 2020. The plaintiffs cited a September 2023 letter in which the US agriculture and education secretaries calculated that Missouri had underfunded Lincoln by $361.6 million during that period, based on federal higher education data.
The complaint alleges that Missouri provided no state matching funds for Lincoln's federal land-grant allocation from fiscal 2000 through 2007 and only partially matched the required amount in subsequent years. Lincoln allegedly diverted around $43.5 million from its general operating budget between 2000 and 2016 to cover the state's share and returned nearly $8 million in federal funds between 2016 and 2018 after being unable to meet matching requirements.
The lawsuit further claims that Missouri fully matched the University of Missouri's land-grant allocations during the same period.
The plaintiffs argue that the funding disparity continues the legacy of Missouri's formerly segregated higher education system, under which the University of Missouri served white students while Lincoln University was established for Black students.
The students and alumni who filed the lawsuit include individuals who attended Lincoln in the 1980s and 1990s, a former student who left without completing a degree in 2024 and four current students. They described deteriorating residence halls, limited dining and health services, inadequate course offerings, insufficient academic advising and financial difficulties.
One student said she lost weight after dining services closed before her band practice ended, while another said a scholarship she expected to receive was withdrawn, forcing her to take loans and work up to 30 hours a week.
The lawsuit names the State of Missouri, the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education, Governor Michael Kehoe, Higher Education Commissioner Bennett Boggs and University of Missouri System President Mun Choi as defendants.
The University of Missouri declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation. Lincoln University did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while state officials also did not immediately respond.