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Dave Roback, The Republican, Landov
Evan S. Dobelle has retired as president of Westfield State University, the Associated Press reported on Friday.
Mr. Dobelle, recently suspended from the job, has been fighting allegations that he spent university money excessively on travel and designer clothes. He has gone so far as to countersue the state official and trustees who had played roles in placing him on leave in October.
A spokesman told The Boston Globe that Mr. Dobelle planned to continue his lawsuit against the trustees as well as the state official, Richard M. Freeland, who is Massachusetts’ higher-education commissioner. Mr. Freeland had frozen some state funds to the university because of the questions about Mr. Dobelle’s spending.
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Mr. Dobelle was named president of Westfield State in 2007. Previously he served as president of Trinity College (Conn.) and at the University of Hawaii, where he was first fired then persuaded to resign and settle for $1.6-million.
In a letter announcing his retirement from Westfield State, Mr. Dobelle said his decision had been driven by the Massachusetts university’s failure to abide by the terms of his contract, which he said did not allow the board to place him on paid leave.