Former UCA President Allen Meadors entered a negotiated plea bargain for a violation of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, a Class C misdemeanor, on Jan. 15. Meadors, 65, was originally charged with tampering with a public document, a Class A misdemeanor, on Aug. 29.
According to an Arkansas Democrat Gazette article, Timothy Dudley, Meadors’ attorney, appeared in court for Meadors.
Meadors is the second consecutive former UCA president to plead guilty to criminal charges.
Meadors was charged with tampering with a public document for asking Vice President for Finance and Administration Diane Newton to destroy a letter from food vendor Aramark that said Aramark would donate $700,000 to renovate the president’s home in exchange for a contract renewal with the university.
After the board of trustees voted to buy out Meadors’ $563,312 contract, $225,325 of which was publicly funded, on Sept. 2, 2011, Meadors resigned.
Meadors, who now lives in North Carolina, did not appear in court for his arraignment or his pre-trial.
