In an email reportedly sent to the Samford Board of Trustees, school president Beck Taylor addressed recent news coverage by 1819 News. 1819 News reached out to a representative from Samford University via phone and text message to confirm the authenticity of the email and attempt to address concerns directly; however, the representative did not respond.
In his message, Taylor made it clear that he sees 1819 News as the problem rather than the underlying policy issues or staff behavior detailed in the stories. He described the 1819 stories as being "unfair, out of context, and at times completely false," while either purposefully or unknowingly misrepresenting them himself.
For instance, he said, "Several weeks ago, I let you know of an article published in 1819 News that was based on a factual error."
The story he's referring to was titled Samford University mandates student groups add DEI statements. Samford's official statement, provided to 1819 News after the story was published, said that the addition of the "Non-discrimination statement" was not related to the university's DEI initiatives; however, this stood in direct contradiction to several statements made by university staff.
Carla Novaes-Reddick, the director of Student Involvement, told the Samford Crimson, "Samford's proactive approach signals a positive direction in fostering an inclusive campus. While other universities face challenges around DEI policies, Samford's commitment to maintaining and enhancing its DEI initiatives demonstrates that the university is focused on long-term growth and inclusivity, regardless of external pressures."
Taylor went on to say, "The article on April 10 plants the idea that classes were taught at Samford with potentially objectionable content – they weren't."
That line is in reference to the story "'Hot Girl Teaching'—Samford professor describes challenging 'conventional Christian values and conservative ideological views' to promote feminism," in which 1819 News details materials that, by the teacher's own admission, were taught, if not in a stand-alone course, as part of the professor's regularly assigned courses.
Both quotes in the headline come from the professor's own words, as cited from a journal article titled "Hot Girl Teaching in a Faith-Based Environment." That piece, along with a separate journal entry that served as the introduction, confirms that Miller has incorporated the content into her Samford courses.
In the journal's introduction titled, "Savage, Classy, Bougie and Ratchet Feminist Pedagogy," Miller's piece is described, "Through Niya Pickett Miller's Critical Commentary "'Hot Girl Teaching' in A Faith-Based Environment," she shares her experiences and challenges with teaching feminist and social justice-oriented content at a faith-based predominantly white institution as a Christian and feminist who enjoys popular culture. Specifically, she discusses how she navigates including culturally diverse and secular texts, especially mainstream and hip-hop feminist rhetoric, in her classrooms as a Black woman."
While Taylor would have trustees and donors believe that Miller has not taught the materials associated with the coursework described, she readily admits, in her own words, through her essay, to having done so.
The previous piece highlighted only a small portion of the questionable body of work by Miller and Samford's promotion of it. Just three months ago, the university touted a journal submission by Miller that seeks to minimize the health risks related to obesity. In the Samford release, Miller says that her co-author, "Dr. Basinger reached out to me after discovering my work on fat Black resistance."
For each story, 1819 News has given Samford and/or the professors mentioned in the story an opportunity to respond on the record. So far, the university has released only one on-the-record statement, which pertained to the first story. The story was updated within hours to include it.
In his email sent Monday afternoon, Taylor states, "For example, today's article claims that a group of faculty members got together to hold a protest against the Trump administration. That is patently false."
However, the claim was not made that the faculty held a protest. The story that Taylor was referencing was entitled "'He is not king': Samford University faculty host two teach-ins to protest Trump administration, agenda."
The headline is a quote from a letter that a Samford professor signed onto, which stated, "The law is not whatever Mr. Trump says it is. He is not king." That professor participated in the panel of both teach-ins related to Trump.
The story goes on to detail and provide copies of the invites and participants of the two teach-ins hosted by faculty following Trump's election. Miller, the self-admitted feminist professor whose body of work focuses on racial and weight-related oppression, was also on the second panel.
The teach-ins included several faculty members openly hostile to the Trump administration's policies, and the statement that the second one intended to address how staff could "respond to the current Trump Administration's actions and policies."
Taylor's letter says, "I don't have time to offer a rebuttal to each of the articles I've posted below, other than to say much of the information presented is done so in an effort to shed the worst possible light on the people and activities listed."
1819 News did not report on content included in the research for two of the stories, as it aimed to avoid sensationalizing them, thereby omitting the more profane aspects of the syllabus and book, both of which were co-authored by Miller. 1819 News did not quote from the complete video piece for the art exhibit that the school featured on campus twice.
As for the activities listed in the story entitled "Samford University's website has changed—but has its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion?", the primary sources of information were reports completed by the university and its website. The university was asked about its DEI programming and Diversity Action Plans on March 7 and again on April 9. The story was published on April 13.
A member of the Samford Board of Overseers reached out to 1819 News CEO Bryan Dawson to arrange a meeting with Samford chief marketing officer Betsy Bugg Holloway. The meeting was scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 9:30 a.m. Samford leadership canceled the meeting hours before it was supposed to take place.
According to the school's description of the trustees' role, "The governance of Samford University is vested in its Board of Trustees, which establishes, guides, and oversees the policies and practices that serve and support the Christ-centered mission of the University. As an educational institution, Samford is committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His gospel as set forth in the Bible. Its mission is fostered by Samford's longstanding relationship with Alabama Baptists and Christians throughout the world."
"Samford trustees are individuals with diverse experiences and backgrounds who bring professional and personal expertise, scholarship, perception, and wise counsel to the governance and fiduciary functions of the board," it continues. "Each Trustee of Samford is a professing Christian who is supportive of the University's mission, vision, and core values, which are centered upon a belief in God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, and in the Holy Spirit."
Editor's Note:1819 News is not reprinting Taylor's unfounded personal attacks, nor his statements related to "off the record" phone calls with university staff. 1819 News aims to bring to light areas of Samford's current policies, curriculum and staff that do not align with the expectations, mission or values of a traditional Christian conservative university so that university leadership, parents, donors, students, and trustees can make informed decisions.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected]
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
