MOBILE Ala.
Bishop State Community College President Yvonne Kennedy’s future at the two-year school is reportedly in doubt amid a probe of student aid fraud claims and reports of financial irregularities.
The office of Alabama Attorney General Troy King has received information from the state’s two-year college system concerning an investigation of the school by the system and state examiners. But King spokesman Chris Bence said Tuesday he could not comment on whether the attorney general would launch his own investigation.
The Press-Register reported Tuesday that Kennedy has been unofficially placed on leave. The story was based on information from state school board member Stephanie Bell and another source, whom the newspaper did not name.
Bell told the Press-Register that she expects Kennedy will be forced out of her job at the college by the end of the month. Kennedy is also a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing parts of Mobile County. She has been president of the university since 1981.
Interim two-year system chancellor Thomas Corts told the newspaper that Kennedy had resigned, retired or been fired. And Andre Taylor, a spokesman for the state’s two-year college system, denied that there has been any change in Kennedy’s status as president.
Bell told The Associated Press that if Kennedy doesn’t step down by Sept. 28, when the school board meets, she will make a motion that the board fire Kennedy. The state school board oversees Alabama’s 26 community and technical colleges in addition to K-12 schools.
