As we previously reported, Howard University is dealing with the fallout of a scandal, where in six members of its staff were fired for allegedly embezzling $1 million of financial aid money from the school.
On Thursday, university students stormed the school’s administration building, demanding answers.
Today, student employee and alleged embezzler, Tyrone Hankerson Jr., spoke out in an interview with Roland Martin.
Since being accused of stealing $429,000, Tyrone tells Martin it has been “an extremely difficult time.” He also said that despite the social media jabs at him in the wake of the scandal, he remains “optimistic.” Tyrone admits that he has “safety” and “welfare concerns” about going to class, as he is still a law student at the university. He is set to graduate in May.
Tyrone worked in the financial aid office as an undergrad from 2011 to 2015, primarily serving the directors, he says. As far as the accusations against him, Tyrone maintains “I have not embezzled any money ever and I have not taken or embezzled $429,000 from Howard University. That is absolutely false.”
Tyrone claims he is being “used as a means” to get Dr. Wayne Frederick, the school’s president, out of his current position. Meanwhile, Tyrone applauds his school’s president for pushing the school forward, despite some “bumps” in the road along the way. He says the university was “stagnant” prior to Frederick.
