Vendor in dispute with Alabama univ. over catering

PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The head of a food services company says in a letter that officials at Alabama State University threatened to cancel the company’s contract after it declined to commit to providing thousands of dollars of free catering for the new president’s inaugural.

Nathanial Goldston, chairman of Atlanta-based Gourmet Services, sent a letter Sunday to university trustees asking them to investigate what he called “an unethical request” by the administration of new president Gwendolyn Boyd.

Goldston’s letter, first reported by the Montgomery Advertiser, said a company executive met Aug. 20 with university officials and offered catering but was “very uncomfortable” with a request for $20,000 in services.

Boyd issued a statement Wednesday that the termination notice was based on performance issues, independent of a donation that had been offered by the company.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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