Mass. Sues Ex-Westfield State President Over Lavish Spending

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed a lawsuit Thursday against former Westfield State University president Evan S. Dobelle, who resigned under fire last fall amid investigations of his use of school funds, The Boston Globe writes.

The suit alleges Mr. Dobelle improperly spent nearly $100,000 of the university’s money on family travel and other personal expenses and filed false reports to Westfield State to justify the expenditures, stating that he was attending conferences or raising funds. It comes a week after the Massachusetts inspector general issued a blistering report accusing the educator of deliberately misusing the institution’s resources and nearly bankrupting its affiliated foundation.

Mr. Dobelle, who led Westfield State for six years, has steadfastly defended his spending and is seeking $1.6-million in a federal suit, claiming the university and state officials promulgated the allegations as a smear campaign aimed at ousting him from office.