Chair of Michigan State's Board of Trustees resigns ahead of new university president taking reins
EAST LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - It was just a few hours before Michigan State University's new president took the reins that the chair of the Board of Trustees resigned from her post.
The board referred two members to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to be considered for their removal.
There were three censures, and two trustees referred to the governor that all went down in less than 30 minutes on Sunday night.
"I believe these actions are punitive and over the top. I'm proud of my service on this board, of the work that this board has done, and I've been honored to serve as chair," said Rema Vassar during her resignation on Sunday. "This report acknowledges what we all know, that this board has suffered from dysfunction for some time, certainly preceding my tenure."
Vassar was at the center of allegations of bullying, improperly handled legal matters, and violations of the board's code of ethics in a letter published last fall. A Washington, D.C.-based law firm began investigating the allegations in October 2023 and published its findings in a 66-page report published at the end of February.
"I think it's important that the board is turning over a new leaf, trying to ensure that they are more transparent in the wake of the new president coming on board," said professor Jack Lipton, who serves as chair of the MSU faculty senate. "I look forward to seeing whether the governor takes up the recommendations of the board regarding review and potential removal of those two trustees."
According to the report, Vassar and trustee Dennis Denno both encouraged students to publicly embarrass interim Teresa Woodruff. They found that Vassar violated the board's policy when she took a ride on a donor's private jet and was caught on tape encouraging students to "crucify" Woodruff.
Denno was also censured and stripped of his committee assignments. Both are prohibited from any board activities outside of mandated duties as members.
"We shouldn't be focusing on who people are, but what they do," said Lipton. "We should be focusing order and respecting our roles and give everyone the grace to make some mistakes but at the same time, be accountable to those mistakes in the appropriate way."