Title: The Tragic Suicide of Antoinette Candia-Bailey: Unaddressed Mental Health Concerns and Allegations of Workplace Discrimination at Lincoln University
Antoinette Candia-Bailey held a deep affinity for Lincoln University. As a proud alumna of the historically Black college, she showcased her love and loyalty by placing a Lincoln University bumper sticker on her mother’s new car as a freshman. After graduating in 1998, her mother purchased a brick in her name. And when she was appointed as the Vice President for Student Affairs last May, she proudly bought another brick to commemorate her new role.
However, this joyous period in Antoinette’s life was short-lived. On January 8, 2023, she took her own life, just five days after being terminated from her position for various reasons, including failing to address the concerns of employees under her supervision and her mental health, as per the termination notice.
In her final letter emailed to university staff and friends, Antoinette detailed a grim reality that contrasted sharply with her early hopes for the position. She accused her superiors of harassment and bullying, and alleged they ignored her pleas for support regarding her mental health concerns. An investigation is currently underway at the university.
The aftermath of Antoinette’s suicide has left painful questions for Lincoln University staff and students, sparking national conversations about mental health issues among people of color in the workplace.
Antoinette’s tenure at Lincoln lasted for less than nine months before her termination. Her lengthy, nearly 6,000-word final letter included screenshots of text conversations, emails, and web links that purportedly showed failed communication efforts, a lack of professionalism, and inappropriate behavior by senior leadership. She also levied personal grievances against Lincoln University President John Moseley, her boss, accusing him of mismanagement and discrimination.
Monica Graham, a Lincoln University alumna and friend of Antoinette, expressed shock upon reading the contents of the letter. “Reading the things that I read in that letter made me cry,” she shared with CNN. “It did because I didn’t know it was that bad.” Graham continued, emphasizing that Antoinette had been suffering in silence.
A month after Antoinette’s death, Lincoln alumni and students continue to grapple with grief while calling for accountability from school officials they believe were involved in her claims of mistreatment.
Moseley, the university president, has yet to publicly address the allegations. He has gone on paid leave while the school’s board hires a third-party team to review the university’s management of personnel issues and the allegations made by Antoinette.
Calls for accountability have been voiced contact and on campus, with student demonstrations staged in support of Antoinette’s cause. Students, with the backing of alumni, have held multiple protests and spoken at board meetings demanding answers and transparency from school officials.
Mental health professionals agree that suicide cannot be blamed on any single factor. While questions of racism and leadership surround Antoinette’s death, the underlying issue is that a woman was in distress, and her reasons for taking her own life may never be fully understood. Still, her allegations and references to mental health struggles have struck a chord with many Black professionals who have experienced workplace challenges.
“It is undeniable that Black women are under attack in the workplace and beyond,” wrote one essayist, who did not know Antoinette personally, in an op-ed published in ESSENCE. “And it is costing us our well-being, our mental health, and for some their lives.”
Danielle Dickens, an associate professor at Spelman College who studies psychology and identity of Black women, emphasized the importance of addressing mental health concerns within academia, especially for Black women. “Unfortunately, many Black women personally relate to this story because of their own personal experiences of discrimination, isolation, and/or bullying in the workplace,” she shared. “Or they know someone, another Black woman, who had that shared experience.”
Antoinette’s death serves as a painful reminder of the need to address mental health concerns and racial dynamics in the workplace, issues that are complex on their own but even more so when considered together. Graham emphasizes the importance of turning this tragic event into a catalyst for change and greater awareness of mental health support for all.
“I don’t want her death to be in vain,” she says. “If nothing else, I want the attention to be more about people getting help for their stress.”
