A lengthy April 28 special meeting of the Board of Trustees of Northwest Florida State College (NFSC) resulted in a vote of 4 – 3 to terminate the employment of NFSC President Robert Richburg. Two members voted for suspension without pay and one voted to keep Richburg in his position. One board member, Joseph Henderson, abstained because he and Richburg are the subjects of a pending complaint made with the state Commission on Ethics.
Voting for termination were Tina Wells, Dale Rice Jr. , Sandy Sims and Brian Pennington. Voting for suspension without pay were H. Wesley Wilkerson, Elizabeth Campbell, and Vercell Vance.
The board’s attorney, Joseph Lorenz, advised the trustees against termination, warning that if Richburg, who is currently charged with falsifying an official document and making a false statement to a Leon County grand jury, were to be acquitted, the board could face a lawsuit for wrongful discharge.
Interim president will be Dr. Jill J. White.