2 Former Morris Brown College Officials Are Charged With Fraud

By Amy Argetsinger
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 10, 2004; Page A15

"The former president and financial aid director of Morris Brown College in Atlanta have been charged with orchestrating a $5 million scheme that drew on fraudulent student loans and grants to camouflage the school's serious financial troubles.

"Dolores Cross, president from late 1998 to early 2002, was named in the the 34-count indictment along with Parvesh Singh, her former director of financial aid and enrollment services.

"Prosecutors allege that the two fraudulently obtained hundreds of federally insured loans and grants in the names of students who were not enrolled at the time and diverted the money to pay for consultants, business travel and other things designed to promote the college's reputation.

"If convicted, Cross, 68, and Singh, 62, face two to five years in prison for each count of fraud and theft."

[ The following has been adapted from the original & highlighted & tinted here and there]


Former Morris Brown College president, financial aid director indicted for fraud: federal authorities say Dolores Cross, Parvesh Singh were involved in student loan scheme.

By Tracie Powell
Black Issues in Higher Education
Dec. 30, 2004

"ATLANTA -- Morris Brown College officials in Atlanta are being mum about the recent indictment of their former president and financial aid director.

"Phone calls to lawyers representing Cross and Singh were not immediately returned.

"Dr. Grant Venerable, Cross' former provost and vice president of academic affairs, who exited the college after his boss was turned out, compared the indictment to a modern-day lynching. Cross' real crime was being a successful, nationally visible, highly educated and achieved, indeed, divorced, woman in a region of the country that still does not accept that the female gender should operate outside of the domain of traditional domesticity, Venerable said in a letter to Black Issues In Higher Education."

Coming Events: Joint Center for the Education of Women and NCRW Member Center Directors Meeting

March 25-27, 2001
University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor, Michegan

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2001

11:45-1:15 pm: KEYNOTE LUCHEON ADDRESS
"Women's Leadership Challenges and Transitions"
Panelists:
Dolores Cross (Morris Brown College)
Etc.
Etc.

http://www.ncrw.org/events/MichiganConf-01.txt

Catholic Group Asks Seton Hall to Rescind Morris Brown College President's Honorary Degree

Black Issues In Higher Education

June 21, 2001

"NEWARK, N.J. -- The president of Morris Brown College found herself in the middle of a controversy last month when a Roman Catholic group asked Seton Hall University to rescind the honorary degree the university had awarded her.

"CatholicVote.org, a project of Catholic Alliance, protested the degree because Dr. Dolores Cross had served on a commission for an aotion rights group. Cross was among 42 members of the National Commission on America Without Roe that was organized in 1992 by the National Abortion Rights Action League, according to NARAL.

"Cross said the alliance's request would violate the spirit of the Constitution.

At issue are the constitutional freedoms of speech and association, she says.

"Seton Hall spokeswoman Susan Diamond said the university does not knowingly confer honorary degrees on candidates who publicly espouse positions that are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic church.

Prior to awarding an honorary degree to (Cross), she assured the university that she had never spoken publicly on any issue contrary to the church's teachings. Charity and justice demand that we take her at her word, Diamond said in a statement.

"Cross, who is a Seton Hall alumnae, was awarded an honorary doctorate at the uniersity's May 7 commencement for her extraordinary dedication and commitment to improving education for underserved students, Seton Hall said."

[ This material has been adapted and highlighted and colored. Dennis ]