
DOVER, Del. (Aug. 18, 2025) — Delaware State University President Tony Allen has been charged with driving under the influence following a July traffic stop, according to court records and university officials.
Allen was pulled over on July 21 and recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.128%, roughly 1.5 times the state legal limit, according to Inside Higher Ed. Court documents indicate he was also cited for failing to remain in a single lane. Allen is charged in Delaware's Court of Common Pleas and is slated for arraignment on Sept. 11. He was released on his own recognizance.
Allen has led DSU since 2020 and previously served as a speechwriter for then-Senator Joe Biden. He was also appointed to the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 2021, a position he held until earlier this year.
The chair of the DSU Board of Trustees, Leroy A. Tice, issued a brief statement calling the matter "part of an active legal process" and confirmed the board would not comment further. He added, "Our focus remains on advancing the University's mission — delivering exceptional education, supporting our campus community, and achieving our strategic goals."
In an email to the university community, Allen acknowledged the traffic stop and wrote, "I was wrong, and I am sorry. I am both regretful and grateful... regretful that we cannot always be our best selves, and grateful that we are given the chance to try again."
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