Members of the media question Westfield State University President Evan Dobelle on travel-related expenses during a Board of Trustee meeting. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD (AP) — The embattled president of Westfield State University has submitted a 20-page explanation of expenditures as requested to the state higher education commission and fired back at Gov. Deval Patrick for jumping to conclusions about the case.
The information submitted Monday covers a five-year period and comes after Commissioner Richard Freeland announced he would suspend almost $200,000 in grants to the university, and recommend the commonwealth suspend a $2 million appropriation for a planned science center, because President Evan Dobelle failed to meet last week’s deadline for the information.
Auditors reported in August that Dobelle and other university officials violated travel and credit card policies. There was no allegation of fraud, but auditors said record-keeping was poor.
In a video, Dobelle says Patrick has made a rush to judgment in his criticisms.
