The president of Texas Southern University, a historically Black college in Houston, has been placed on administrative leave.
Dr. Austin A. LaneThe Board of Regents announced that Dr. Austin A. Lane is on leave with pay and that the chief financial officer, Kenneth Huewitt, will serve as interim president.
It is unclear why Lane, the 12th president, was placed on leave. Lane became president of TSU in 2016 and held other leadership positions at Tyler Junior College, Lone Star College-Montgomery, and the University of Texas at Arlington.
“The Board is committed to ensuring all activities at the University are conducted in an ethical and transparent manner in accordance with the University’s mission, vision and values,” reads a statement issued by the board. “The University will have no further comment at this time.”
Lane told a local Houston television station that he was “caught off guard” by the news of his leave and expected “to be reinstated immediately or paid out for the remainder of my contract for breach of contract.”
