President of 2-Year College Is Suspended Amid Financial Investigation

The president of Essex County College, Gale Gibson, has been suspended by the New Jersey institution’s Board of Trustees as it investigates accusations of misuse of the college’s resources, reports The Star-Ledger.

“At this time, the board believes that suspending Dr. Gibson from her duties as president is in the best interest of the students and will help protect the integrity of the institution,” Joseph DiVincenzo, the Essex County executive, said in a statement.

Information around the investigation into Ms. Gibson remains vague. Her lawyer, Alan Zegas, suggested to the newspaper that her suspension was the result of political machinations.

The board’s lawyer, Juan Fernandez, declined to comment on the decision other than to confirm that a closed-door meeting was held Monday to discuss Ms. Gibson. The board’s chair, Bibi Taylor, did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

A student representative on the board, Debra Salters, said she was not given a chance to vote, and expressed surprise at the board’s decision. “This is politics at its worst,” Ms. Salters told the newspaper. “They have searched for a year, been digging for over a year to find something dirty on this president.”