College Endowment Threatened in Row Over Parking Ticket
An irate father is threatening to stop paying on a $35,000 endowment to the University of Tennessee because campus police wrote his son a $35 parking ticket.
“It’s a matter of principle,” said Gene Mowery, whose son, Russell, got the ticket last month for parking in a fire lane. “The administration staff and the president of the college have never tried to do anything for students’ parking.”
Russell Mowery insists the spot was not marked as a fire lane. He said he left his car in an unmarked space at the end of a line of legally parked cars, a lesser offense for which the fine would be about $10.
Gene Mowery said he will keep paying the endowment if the university lowers the fine against his son to $10.
Charles Brakebill, associate vice president for development, said the endowment will have nothing to do with whether the fine is decreased.
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