A black Columbia University professor has accused the widow of a wealthy banker of “white supremacy” after she siphoned $2.8 million in funds from a charity they founded together.
dr Marti Slaten founded the Harry T. Burleigh Society with her then-student Lynne Foote in 2017 to honor the musician.
The pair became friends over their love of African American music history, and Foote invested $2 million in the charity in 2019.
Your donation was intended to organize concerts featuring Burleigh’s music and help fund up-and-coming black musicians.
Slaten, the manager, was one of two paid employees and also performed songs at concerts hosted by the group.
dr Marti Slaten, pictured, founded the Harry T. Burleigh Society with her then-student Lynne Foote in 2017 with the aim of honoring the musician
Foote’s $2 million donation was intended to host concerts featuring Burleigh’s music and fund up-and-coming black musicians
But the two women had a major falling out in 2020, which led to Foote stepping down from her role as society president in 2021.
She claimed that the group no longer conducts fundraisers or hosts concerts, and made some suggestions for a new chairman who would have “sole access to oversight and control of the foundation’s account.”
However, legal documents filed by Foote show that although she said she is leaving the group, she wanted to continue her donations and support to the society.
She moved to Oxford in the UK to continue her historical research and said in an email that she felt Slaten had implied she was “power hungry” after the two women’s relationship fell apart.
It’s unclear what the two women argued about, but in an email addressing Slaten’s concerns, Foote said she “humbly experienced how my own ingrained white supremacy and racism were manifesting in our relationship.” have”.
She added, “While it was a painful thing to reckon with, I was grateful for the chance to grow in my awareness of just how deeply I am still shaped by and responding to these oppressive ways.
“And it felt like the ‘something’ in the air between us was finally understandable to me.”
Foote says she was shocked when Slaten formed a new board with a new director and treasurer and proclaimed herself president.
The Columbia University professor eventually resigned from her position, initially demanding a $600,000 settlement, which she did not receive
It’s unclear what the two women argued about, but in an email addressing Slaten’s concerns, Foote said she “humbly experienced how my own ingrained white supremacy and racism were manifesting in our relationship.” have”.
Alonzo Van Wilson, the new director of the board, said that Foote is “not a good leader” and does not comply with New York State laws to start the charity
Slaten is accused of extending her contract by three years, which gave her a 35 percent pay rise to $135,000, with “personal well-being” expenses of $1,500 a month.
Initially, she was paid $88,000 a year for working 20 hours a week, plus an expense account and paid childcare.
Foote claims she was caught “off guard” when Slaten asked the bank to remove her from the account so she could take full control of the money – and said she just wanted to step down as president.
She froze the multi-million dollar account that left several employees without their salaries and halted all company activities.
Her husband Steve Foote died in 2019 after a battle with cancer and initially also served on the charity’s board.
After his death, Foote says, she took a step back and also moved to the UK to continue her research for the charity.
Slaten has created a new board of directors that Foote says are her “friends” who have “no experience” for the job – with the court case still rumbling a year later.
The Columbia University professor eventually resigned from her position, initially demanding a $600,000 settlement, which she did not receive.
The pair became friends over their love of African American music history, and Foote invested $2 million in the charity in 2019. Pictured: Harry T Burleigh
However, legal documents filed by Foote show that although she said she is leaving the group, she wanted to continue her donations and support to the society
She instead received her annual salary of $135,000 and has retired from society entirely.
Dan McSwiggan, an attorney for Foote, told the Daily News, “The Harry T. Burleigh Society was co-founded and funded by Ms. Foote to uphold Mr. Burleigh’s legacy by highlighting innovative, black classical music through public performances and programming.”
‘MS. Proud of how much has been accomplished, Foote regrets that the work is no longer being done, and remains deeply committed to ensuring that the Society’s funds are used in accordance with its mission to uplift black art music.
She continues to see herself as part of the board and wants to work with the group to fulfill the society’s original mission.
Alonzo Van Wilson, the new director of the board, said that Foote is “not a good leader” and does not comply with New York State laws to start the charity.
He said: “She’s tearing down an organization she says she loves. Ms. Foote resigned, but then her attorney said you realized you left all that money on the table.
“So what’s really the problem is that she wants to get back on the board because she wants to control the money that she gave.
“But when you donate money to an organization, it’s their money. You won’t get the money back.”