Herman “Skip” Mason, the former president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, is expected back in an Atlanta area court Friday, seeking reinstatement as the head of the fraternity. Mason was removed from his position in April and suspended from the nation’s oldest black Greek letter organization, coinciding with allegations of financial mismanagement.
Attorneys for Mason filed a request for a temporary restraining order against the fraternity in DeKalb County’s Superior Court. Had he not been removed, Mason would have six more months left in his presidential term.
An open letter posted in March by Alpha fraternity member Dr. Gregory Parks detailed the accusations against Mason, who is believed to have misappropriated fraternity funds for dependant care and tuition. Parks repeatedly accused Mason of “pimping” the fraternity for its funding.
“Brother Mason, through his leadership or lack thereof, has lost our brotherhood somewhere between 2.5 and 3 million dollars. All the while, he has dined on the most sumptuous of meals, stayed in suites, ran up a five figure limousine and car service bill, and flown around the globe in first class style and seating, far exceeding the travel budget of any of his predecessors,” Parks wrote. “In an era in which many brothers have lost their jobs and homes, Brother Mason sought to rule in luxury. Again, he pimped the Fraternity.”
Just a month after the letter was posted in various places online, Mason was suspended and stripped of his position. Western Region Vice-President Aaron Crutison has stepped into the role of interim General President until the next election is held. Mason has continually denied wrongdoing in the situation, and has said that he has already made arrangements to reimburse Alpha Phi Alpha.
Mason is a graduate of both Morris Brown College and Clark Atlanta University, and is the author of a number of books, including The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha detailing much of the organization’s history.
