Joanne S. Jordan, a former president of Southern Union State Community College, has been charged with obstruction of justice for lying to a grand jury probing Alabama’s system of two-year colleges, the Associated Press reported today.

The charges stem from a series of scandals related to the former system chancellor, Roy W. Johnson. Ms. Jordan has agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors said. In her plea agreement, she admitted receiving free services from a contractor she hired for college work, giving a bogus contract to Mr. Johnson’s son-in-law, and authorizing spending $24,000 in college funds on Mr. Johnson’s girlfriend.

Ms. Jordan initially said she had hired Mr. Johnson’s son-in-law on her own initiative, without the chancellor’s direction, but she later recanted. The federal obstruction charge could lead to a 10-year prison sentence and fines of $250,000, or both.

Mr. Johnson pleaded guilty last month. Southern Union State has had trouble getting back on its feet. Ms. Jordan’s successor was also recently asked to leave. —Scott Carlson