HOUSTON, April 23 (UPI) -- The future of Texas Southern University as an independent institution appears in doubt to some supporters following the dismissal of the school's president.
In voting to fire Priscilla Slade, the TSU Board of Regents may have placed the historically black Houston school in line for either a merger with another college system or closure, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Slade was fired after an internal audit raised questions about nearly $650,000 in spending over a seven-year period, the newspaper said.
An investigation by a law firm hired by the regents found that Slade and her chief financial officer failed to follow the university's policies and state law in paying for furniture, landscaping and a security system for Slade's house.
Slade is on paid leave pending the outcome of a public hearing to contest her termination.
