Dr. M. Christopher Brown II—once a rising star in academe— resigned on Tuesday as president of Kentucky State University, amid an ongoing financial probe.
Saddled with multiple lawsuits and a looming financial audit, questions about the financial health of the historically Black university have swirled around Brown, who took the helm of the public institution in 2017.
Brown’s resignation came during a special meeting Tuesday and was presented in a form of a letter addressed to Kentucky Board of Regents Chair Elaine Farris.
“Dear Regent Farris, I have decided to tender my resignation as president of Kentucky State University to you and to the Board of Regents,” the letter read. “I have recently learned I will be unable to complete the tenure of the third addendum of my present contract.”
Brown did not give a reason why he decided to leave his post before his contract, which was renewed through 2025 back in May, expired.
“I am most proud of our institutional achievements in student enrollment, significant growth in student retention, doubling the graduation rate and the recognizable brand identity of the green and gold Throbreds,” he wrote in the resignation letter. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with the students, alumni, faculty, staff, board and stakeholders of Kentucky State University. I wish the Thorobred family continued progress onward, upward and forward.”
Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, the state’s coordinating board for higher education, said that his agency “is poised and ready to provide our assistance to the leadership of Kentucky State University as they move forward.”
