A DeKalb County judge denied a request for an emergency temporary restraining order that would have, in effect, reinstated Herman "Skip" Mason as general president of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Mason, a DeKalb County resident, had sued the nation's oldest black Greek-letter fraternity, claiming he was "illegally" ousted as its leader earlier this year. The fraternity removed Mason as president over allegations of financial mismanagement.
Mason's attorney said his client, whose term would have ended at the end of this year, has denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit contends the board violated its constitution and bylaws.
Judge Mathew Robins, however, did rule that the court had jurisdiction over the case against the fraternity, although not the 14 individual board members who were also named as defendants.
Alpha Phi Alpha has 40 chapters in Georgia, 13 of which are in the metro area. Founded in 1906, the fraternity's members have included the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
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