Sylvia Trent-Adams will receive $560,000 for leaving her role as president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth. This agreement was reached just two weeks after her resignation announcement and was concluded on January 31, her last official day at the institution.
The payment will be given to Trent-Adams within 30 days after her departure. She earned $700,000 in the previous fiscal year. However, the $560,000 will be taxable and will not make her eligible for any benefits, including retirement plans. The UNT System agreed not to dispute any claims she might file for unemployment benefits.
In return, Trent-Adams has agreed to release the UNT System from any potential legal claims, and the system has done the same for her. Notably, there is no mention of a nondisclosure agreement or any legal representation for Trent-Adams related to the resignation.
Trent-Adams left amidst controversy surrounding the Willed Body Program at UNTHSC, which faced scrutiny for not properly notifying families before declaring bodies unclaimed for research. A prior investigation by NBC News uncovered that the program had been violating Texas law by using a method called alkaline hydrolysis, or water cremation, on human remains.
Following the investigations, several program leaders were let go, and the program was suspended. Tarrant County, which had previously donated its unclaimed bodies for medical training, also severed its ties with the program.
In an email to faculty and staff, Trent-Adams described her resignation as a personal decision made after much thought. She started at UNTHSC in 2020 as chief strategy officer and became its first Black woman president in September 2022.
The UNT System has appointed Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun as the interim president as of February 1. Calhoun previously served as president of the University of Texas at Tyler before retiring.
The situation surrounding Trent-Adams’ departure highlights challenges in oversight and ethics within university programs, emphasizing the responsibility institutions have in ensuring proper care and respect for individuals, especially those who are unclaimed.
