Antioch University and Coalition Clash in Legal Control Dispute

Antioch University and the Coalition for the Common Good are in a legal battle over control, with mediation set to begin. Coalition President John Comerford, who also leads Otterbein University, has attempted to place Antioch President Lori Varlotta on paid administrative leave multiple times since summer.

The CCG board stated Varlotta is on leave while it reviews performance-related matters. Varlotta confirmed that Antioch and CCG were scheduled to begin mediation on Monday afternoon. She told Higher Ed Dive on Monday that the university’s leadership team and board of governors "believe mediation is the best path forward."

Legal battle over control and governance

Since late August, Antioch leaders have been locked in litigation with the Coalition for the Common Good. The conflict began when CCG sought to dissolve the Antioch board of governors and assert control over the university’s bank accounts. Those actions prompted a lawsuit from Antioch’s board, which described CCG’s actions as a hostile takeover.

An Ohio state court initially blocked the coalition from accessing Antioch’s accounts and dissolving its board. It later rejected the Antioch board’s request for a preliminary injunction against CCG and let a restraining order lapse. The court left in place a directive that Antioch and the coalition enter mediation.

Antioch leaders argued that CCG cannot dissolve the university’s board without prior approval from the Antioch standing committee. On Sept. 28, the court concluded the Antioch board of governors lacked standing to sue because it was not a party to CCG's bylaws. A second complaint was filed the day after that decision by one of the four members of Antioch's standing committee on the CCG board.

Communications restricted amid court proceedings

Conflicting directives have been issued to university administrators. John Comerford told Antioch University administrators to remove a website containing dispute-related documents and letters. He instructed them to halt all communications with stakeholders about the conflict or on behalf of the Antioch board of governors, including through town halls and alumni communications.

As of late Monday afternoon, the Antioch website was still live despite Comerford demanding in an email that administrators take it down by Friday evening. Despite the new complaint, Comerford said in his Friday email to four high-level Antioch administrators that all court restrictions on the authority of the CCG Board and President have been lifted following the prior ruling.

Steve Crandall, chair of Antioch's advisory board of governors, urged a different path in his own email to stakeholders on Friday. Crandall said the board, Varlotta, and other university leaders would continue communicating and providing direction until they get further orders from the court. He wrote: With a court hearing approaching and a proposed mediation in the works, we urge CCG to avoid further disruptive changes, including shutting down communications that help the Antioch community understand what is happening. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday.

Mediation efforts and institutional background

Antioch University co-founded the Coalition for the Common Good with Otterbein University in 2023. The coalition was formed to bring together colleges with similar missions to collaborate around academic programming and shared services. Antioch reincorporated as CCG in 2023 to launch the coalition and is legally listed as a division of it.

Current and former Antioch officials say the reincorporation was meant to be a temporary solution to win regulatory approval of the coalition's structure. Comerford and CCG leaders argue that this gives the CCG board total fiduciary authority over Antioch. Antioch leaders oppose this interpretation, citing founding documents that give the university's board of governors and its standing committee oversight.

The dispute between Antioch and CCG began earlier this year, around the time Varlotta and other administrators issued detailed findings about the coalition's potential negative financial impact on the university. Since August, Varlotta and Crandall have openly advocated for a break from the coalition’s governance structure. Crandall stated they continue to challenge CCG's asserted authority through counsel and the court.

In an emailed statement Monday, the CCG board said the Coalition for the Common Good has taken a number of steps to return to good governance following the court ruling. Antioch and Otterbein had coexisted amicably within the coalition for a time. Officials at Antioch first conceived of launching an innovative university coalition years ago and in 2023 found their first partner in Otterbein. Antioch University is a private institution located in Seattle, Wash. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday.