we demand justice for bonnie
For months, Dr. Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey documented and reported bullying of President John Moseley to the proper workplace authorities, including the Board of Curators who oversee the President at Lincoln University in Missouri where she served as the Vice President of Student Affairs — to no avail.
On January 8, 2024, 49-year old Dr. Candia-Bailey took her own life, attributed to workplace abuse — reported bullying and the institutional complicity that not only disregarded her complaints but also escalated the abuse to purge her from the payroll to avoid a perceived threat of liability.
timeline of events
Mid-May 2023 – Candia-Bailey begins tenure as VP of Student Affairs.
Mid-November 2023 – Negative performance evaluation from Moseley; Candia-Bailey leaves meeting in tears.
November 16, 2023 – Accommodation requests under FMLA/ADA mishandled; HR reprimands her; Board declines to act.
January 3, 2024 – Termination for alleged insubordination.
January 8, 2024 – Final 12-page email sent to Moseley, cc’ing Board and alumni; later identified as a suicide note.
March 21, 2024 – Board investigation by Lewis Rice LLC, led by past HBCU board president Ron Norwood; Moseley cleared and reinstated; Board sends public letter downplaying her allegations.
October 8, 2025 – Planned send date for the open letter.
President Moseley took paid leave during Lincoln’s “investigation,” in which a third party found no liability on the university’s end, what many might call an “investigation” on themselves. President Moseley was reinstated.
On October 8, 2025, End Workplace Abuse sent an open letter to Lincoln University President John Moseley and the Board of Curators demanding accountability for the death of Dr. Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey, the university’s former Vice President of Student Affairs.
The letter — backed by more than 1,200 student, alumni, educator, and community signatures — calls for Moseley’s removal, the resignation of the Board, an independent investigation, and sweeping institutional reform.
“Dr. Candia-Bailey asked for help. She was reportedly denied. Days later, she was gone,” the letter reads. “This was not just a personal tragedy — it was an institutional failure.”
Advocates say the demands at Lincoln reflect a broader call for accountability at all institutions where bullying and neglect are allowed to persist unchecked.