BSA Cancels Young Moose’s Homecoming Performance After Learning About Legal Situation

Black Student Alliance (BSA) has canceled its invitation for the Baltimore-based rapper Kevron Evans, known by his stage name “Young Moose,” to perform at Frostburg State University’s homecoming dance on Saturday, October 17.

“After learning about Young Moose’s (Kevron Evans’) current legal situation, FSU’s Black Student Alliance has rescinded its invitation to have him perform at the BSA-sponsored Homecoming Dance,” said Liz Medcalf, FSU’s director of news and media services. “He was originally part of a twin bill with Lightshow, who is still performing. BSA is working on finding a replacement for Young Moose so there will still be a twin bill.”

At press time, BSA had not commented on who would replace Young Moose at the homecoming dance.

According to Medcalf, Evans would have been paid with proceeds from the show, not from student activity fee money or BSA funds. The contract was FSU’s standard performance contract. Homecoming dance tickets cost $20 for students and $25 for guests. 1,200 tickets for homecoming are available. 

Medcalf added in a later email that Robin Wynder, BSA’s adviser, would have been aware of the organization’s plan to hire Evans. She also confirmed that performance contracts for an October performance are usually finalized in August. “Ultimately it is a financial officer of the University who signs, but there may be interim approvals required as well,” Medcalf said.

Wynder did not reply to a request for comment.

FSU officials met on Wednesday, October 8 to discuss the performance. In an email to The Bottom Line, Interim President Tom Bowling said, “There was a meeting yesterday regarding this and it is being discussed at this morning’s Executive Committee meeting I will have more information following that meeting.”

FSU Police Chief Cynthia Smith told The Bottom Line in an email, “I was consulted regarding the Homecoming Dance entertainment which is standard practice for late night events. I will have no further comment.”

BSA President Shaniya Johnson emailed The Bottom Line on Wednesday, October 7, saying, “Kevron Evans is not performing at Frostburg State University. Also, Homecoming was left in the hands of the Black Student Alliance. The black student population expressed interest in said artist. But Kevron Evans is not performing at Frostburg State University.” Johnson declined further comment. 

SGA voted unanimously in April to give BSA responsibility for organizing homecoming. BSA committed $10,700 of its $37,790 budget to homecoming.

“The money is well allocated,” said Josh Haden, BSA’s vice president of finance, at the April SGA meeting. “We’re gonna give people what they want at homecoming.”

A Google search of “Kevron Evans rapper” reveals several articles reporting on Evans’s various legal incidents. The first search result on the page is a Baltimore City Paper story titled, “Rapper Young Moose arrested last night.” The Baltimore City Paper story reported that Evans “was arrested by Baltimore Police last night in response to a peace order alleging domestic violence. This is the second time he has been arrested in the last month.”

Judge John Addison Howard of the Baltimore City Circuit Court was to release Evans from house arrest to perform at homecoming, because he was under contract. Evans was recently released from house arrest to help film a movie titled, “Guns and Grams,” according to a Fox Baltimore article. Judge Howard was criticized in August 2010 by Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks for being too lenient with a man who was criminally charged with an assault on his then-girlfriend.

Evans is a defendant in five active criminal cases, according to online court records. Evans is due in court on October 26, 2015 for assault charges that were filed on August 18, 2015. The event in question occurred on June 16, 2015, according to online court records. He is also due in court on November 10, 2015 for a charge of theft of an amount between $10,000 and $100,000. This case was filed on June 27, 2014 and the incident date was April 7, 2014, also according to online court records.

He is named in eight criminal cases that are now closed, and he also faced charges for violating probation. All 15 of these criminal cases occurred in the last five years, with the earliest being filed on June 16, 2011.