Hollywood producer Will Packer says his checks to Florida A&M University are on hold. One of the HBCU's best-known graduates announced this week that he will stop giving money straight to the school and will instead back a new fund run by fellow alumni.

In a video posted to social media, Packer introduced the Rattler Freedom Fund. He described it as an independent pot of alumni money meant to support FAMU while staying clear of Florida state politics and what its organizers see as partisan tactics.

"I'm not giving another dime to FAMU," Packer said. "Not directly to the university. Not until something changes."

The breaking point

Packer traced his decision to the selection of Marva B. Johnson as university president. He pointed to eight politically appointed trustees, a bloc that students and graduates have dubbed "The Hateful Eight," who brushed aside pleas to block Johnson and installed her anyway.

The board went on to approve the richest pay package FAMU has ever given a president. According to Packer, one trustee even warned that the FAMU Foundation could lose its certification if it refused to cover Johnson's compensation.

"That was my breaking point," he said.

A president trying to win over critics

Opponents of Johnson's hiring have mocked her as "MAGA Marva." Since taking office she has worked to build goodwill through a listening tour across the Rattler community.

Dr. Brandi Tatum-Fedrick, who leads the FAMU Foundation as executive director, defended Johnson in a July interview with The EDU Ledger. She acknowledged the new president arrived amid plenty of grumbling but said Johnson has listened, responded to concerns and shown a real desire to do right by the school.

Falling rankings and fewer gifts

FAMU can now boast of two graduates headed to governors' mansions: Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and Byron Donalds in Florida. Even so, Packer and other alumni remain unhappy. They point to the university's slide in national rankings along with a 35 percent decline in alumni giving compared with the years when Dr. Larry Robinson was president.

Packer stopped short of blaming any one person for the school's troubles. He called for accountability and said he hopes the new fund becomes a starting point for sweeping change at HBCUs nationwide.

Packer said the moment calls for "radical transparency" and "independent financial power" without delay. He argued that the latest election showed what happens when people put their money and their voices behind a cause they believe in. "I'm fighting for FAMU, not against it," he said.