Dive Brief:
- Illinois State University’s president has resigned after only seven months on the job, following a university police investigation into assault allegations.
- The president, Timothy Flanagan, and the university did not explain why he resigned, and the results of the investigation were not revealed.
- Flanagan is accused of hitting an Illinois State University employee in the chest during an argument about the care of his lawn.
Dive Insight:
It appears that Flanagan lost his $350,000-a-year position because he lost his cool. The employee, R. Patrick Murphy, grounds superintendent, was fired after the Dec. 5 incident, and he is seeking his job back. According to Murphy, his crew was aerating the lawn at the president’s university-owned home when Flanagan confronted him with a profanity-laced tirade, with spit flying into Murphy’s face and clothes. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Dietz has been named president, and while Flanagan has not been charged, university police have provided the results of their investigation to McClean County prosecutors.