June 6, 2025
Courtroom paperwork present {that a} Wake County, North Carolina decide licensed an entry of default for the college to pay SBA Join, LLC $20,234,785.30 plus curiosity together with $11,551.23 in lawyer’s charges.
The monetary troubles for Saint Augustine’s College are mounting after a decide ordered the HBCU to pay one of many corporations that filed a lawsuit in opposition to the college for unpaid companies.
Courtroom paperwork present {that a} Wake County, North Carolina, decide licensed an entry of default for the college to pay SBA Join, LLC $20,234,785.30 plus curiosity and $11,551.23 in lawyer’s charges. The decide additionally ordered the college to pay any charges associated to the court docket motion, in keeping with CBS 17.
The Boca Raton-based firm filed a lawsuit in opposition to Saint Augustine’s in March, claiming the college didn’t pay them for his or her companies, as BLACK ENTERPRISE beforehand reported. The Raleigh-based IT firm Avaria additionally filed a lawsuit.
As an alternative of fulfilling invoices, each Avaria and SBA Join, LLC gave SAU the choice of paying an early termination price of practically $17 million for every firm.
All this comes after what has been an uphill monetary battle for the college over the past a number of years. Consequently, Saint Augustine’s misplaced its accreditation from the Southern Affiliation of Faculties and Colleges Fee on Faculties. The college additionally misplaced its attraction to reinstate its accreditation, prompting a heated city corridor on April 11, attended by alums, present college students, and the neighborhood. These in attendance accused college leaders of withholding info.
Weeks later, Board Chairman Brian Boulware responded to the city corridor. He acknowledged the knowledge circulating on social media and public boards was misinformation.
“We’ve got shunned participating in public disputes to guard the college’s capacity to barter with companions, reply to accrediting our bodies, and function with integrity in accordance with its authorized obligations,” mentioned Boulware.
Earlier than the lawsuit was filed, the college was positioned on probation in 2022 after failing to satisfy accreditation requirements. The establishment has confronted monetary points totaling greater than $30 million, and practically $10 million in tax liens.
Talking on behalf of the board, Boulware mentioned college leaders are preventing for its future and never simply its “status” and welcomes everybody to “contribute constructively to that mission.”
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