New Mexico Highlands President Dismissed, Without Cause

The New Mexico Highlands University Board of Regents has dismissed President Neil Woolf, roughly a month after he and several other top university leaders were placed on paid administrative leave with little explanation, KRQE reported.

The board acknowledged in a statement that Woolf was removed without cause and vowed to comply with the terms of his contract, including “applicable separation pay, final compensation and accrued benefits.”

Woolf’s dismissal came on the heels of a lawsuit he filed against the university last week alleging that he was being sidelined for refusing to comply with an order to cancel an existing campus construction contract and divert it to a friend of board chair Frank Sanchez.

While the board “deeply respects the public’s interest in the leadership and governance of New Mexico Highlands University,” the regents’ statement said, “New Mexico law governing the privacy rights of public employees expressly and strictly prohibits the University and the Board of Regents from publicly disclosing the specific details, nature, or circumstances surrounding any personnel matter,” including those related to the president.

“The Board respectfully asks for the public’s understanding and patience as the University moves forward with care and purpose,” the statement continued. “The Board of Regents wants the campus community and the public to know that this decision was made with great care, deliberation, and a deep sense of responsibility.”

Before the vote to oust him on Tuesday, Woolf addressed the board. “Despite the way I and … a dozen others have been treated, my family and I still pray for Highlands,” he said, according to KRQE. ”We still pray for Las Vegas. These two years have been transformational for the institution, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.”