Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 7, 1993 TAG: 9310070143
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
But the accusation that he cashed two checks made out to a graduate student isn't the only legal trouble the director of Virginia Tech's black studies program has faced.
Several Christiansburg stores have sought warrants against Flowers - whose salary is $76,000 - for checks that were returned for insufficient funds. Six charges were dismissed, three as recently as Wednesday.
Flowers, 48, of Blacksburg, was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury Friday on four charges. The indictments allege that Flowers - who also teaches theater arts at Tech - obtained money July 1 and Aug. 9 by cashing payroll checks payable to King D. Godwin, a graduate student who began attending Tech this semester.
The checks were intended as payment to an instructor who would teach one class each summer-school session. After taxes, the two checks were for slightly more than $4,000 each.
Godwin told authorities he was not in Blacksburg this past summer and didn't teach the courses or receive payment.
During an investigation, authorities were told that Drexell Ball, an assistant to the president of Delaware State College in Dover, taught two black studies courses at Tech during summer school and was paid a total of $4,000 in cash by Flowers.
But Ball told the Roanoke Times & World-News on Wednesday that he did not teach the classes or receive any payment from Flowers.
University spokesman Dave Nutter was not able to say late Wednesday who taught the classes.
Ball said he knew Flowers because they both had worked at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. Flowers was professor and chairman of the division of theater there, while Ball was assistant director of public relations and sports information director.
Ball said he had taken courses taught by Flowers at A&T, and that he considered him a mentor. "He's done some wonderful things" and is highly recognized in the theater community, Ball said.
Flowers' honors include being named Teacher of the Year at A&T and winning the North Carolina Theatre Conference's Award for Excellence. He has written several textbooks on acting and has published articles in professional journals. At Tech, he has directed several productions, including "Fences," a Pulitzer-Prize winning depiction of the long-lasting effects of social injustice.
Flowers joined Tech in July 1991 as the first director of the university's black studies program, after spending a year at the University of South Florida as a visiting professor of theater arts. He worked at North Carolina A&T for about 10 years and also was on staff at Bowie State in Maryland and the University of Arkansas.
Wednesday, Flowers appeared in Montgomery County General District Court on three misdemeanor charges of writing insufficient-fund checks. The charges were dismissed after the complainants - The Farmhouse restaurant and a Harris Teeter grocery store - did not appear in court.
It was the second time in two years that Flowers was charged with writing insufficient-funds checks. Three other charges were dismissed March 10, 1992.
Flowers said after court that on the advice of his lawyer, Berrell Shrader of Blacksburg, he would not comment on the allegations against him. Flowers did say he wants to see his name cleared.
Shrader declined comment when reached Tuesday.
Nutter said Flowers was removed from his position as head of the black studies program about two weeks ago. His signature authority was removed from any account related to the program.
Joyce Williams-Green, assistant provost, has been named acting director of the black studies program. Flowers is a tenured professor in the theater arts department and continues to teach, Nutter said.
Tech is conducting an internal investigation of the allegations, separate from the police investigation that led to Flowers' indictment, Nutter said.
by CNB