By Haley Carney
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—The Franklin College Board of Trustees suspended its search for a new president Monday after naming Acting President Kerry N. Prather as president effective immediately.

Prather, who has been with the school for nearly four decades, replaced Thomas J. Minar who was fired in January after being arrested in Wisconsin on charges including using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.

James V. Due, chair of Franklin’s board of trustees, sent an email Monday to faculty and staff announcing Prather’s promotion saying the appointment reflects the board’s confidence in his leadership. The search for a new president is suspended until March 2021.

“The Franklin College Board of Trustees recognizes that Kerry Prather’s steady hand, transparent communication style and committed servant leadership are needed during this time of transition to keep the college focused on the important work of doing what is best for students,” Due wrote.

The college has been in the midst of a search for a new president to replace Minar, who had announced last year that he was stepping down after five years in the role. He had been expected to serve through the end of the current academic year when, in early January, the board learned of his arrest in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The board fired him immediately and named Prather to the acting role.

Minar, who is free on a $7,500 bond, was in court last week where his attorney, Brett Reetz, waived his right to a preliminary hearing. In addition to the computer-related crime, Minar also faces charges of child enticement and exposing a child to harmful narrations. He is accused of messaging an undercover police officer who was posing as a teenage boy on the dating app Grindr. Minar’s next court appearance is scheduled for April.

Prather is an Indiana University graduate with an undergraduate degree in English and a master’s degree in education. He began working at Franklin College in 1982 and has played numerous roles in the past 38 years, starting out as the assistant men’s basketball coach.

The following year, he was promoted to head coach and in 1990, athletic director. Under his leadership, Franklin College expanded athletic opportunities for students to the current level of 21 intercollegiate sports and upgraded and built new athletic facilities at the campus.

Prather also served as a cabinet officer in four administrations and most recently was associate director of admissions, acting vice president for administration and acting vice president for enrollment management. In 1999, he was named an associate alumnus of Franklin College in recognition of his longtime service and contributions.

Prather, in a news release, said that Franklin College is special to him and his family.

“At Franklin, our priorities are the students we are preparing and the faculty and staff who are creating paths for their success,” he said.

Kerry’s wife Cindy taught elementary school for 14 years before a 23-year tenure on the faculty of the Franklin College Education Department. Since then, she has been involved in higher education consulting. Both of Prather’s’ children are graduates of Franklin College.

FOOTNOTE: Haley Carney is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.