Wright Career College accrediting agency president resigns

Less than a week after Wright Career College declared bankruptcy and shuttered its doors, president of the agency that has accredited the not-for-profit career college, resigned on Monday.

The Washington Post reported that Albert Gray, president and chief executive of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools resigned but declined to discuss whether that decision was made under pressure from the board of directors. Gray who has been head of the council for the past seven years, is being replaced by Anthony Bieda, vice president of external affairs.

Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools accredited the now closed Wright Career College, which has five campuses including one in Overland Park, and such troubled or recently closed for-profit schools, as ITT Tech, Sanford Brown, the Art Institutes and Corinthian.

Last Friday Wright Career College closed its campuses here and in four other cities, leaving about 1,000 current students uncertain about how to finish their degrees or certification programs.

The Post reported that the accrediting council has been under fire from about a dozen state attorney generals who want it stripped of power to grant schools access to federal student financial aid dollars.

The attorney handling the bankruptcy process for Wright, said he had not heard about the resignation.

Wright on Monday opened for staff to return any college property they might have had and to clear out their belongings from the Overland Park building.

Wright let go 200 employees last week. About 27 employees, considered vital to the liquidation process, were kept on staff and were being paid, said Neil Sader, a bankruptcy attorney with Sader Law Firm in Kansas City which is representing Wright.

He said those not vital employees who were let go, would not be paid.

“We are now in the process of securing collateral,” Sader said. “Our focus is securing the campus, preventing any looting of property.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Wright Career College accrediting agency president resigns."