The governing board at Texas Southern University voted unanimously today to remove its president from the payroll, making her firing official, according to the Houston Chronicle. The board had voted to dismiss the president, Priscilla D. Slade, nearly two months ago, after an audit found that she had spent nearly $650,000 in university money on personal expenses over a seven-year period (The Chronicle, April 19). A local grand jury is looking into possible criminal charges in the case.

Ms. Slade has denied the accusations, she has sued the board for breach of contract, and her lawyer said the board had denied her due process. But she did not appear at today’s board meeting, even though she had requested it to appeal her dismissal. Legal observers said she may have been concerned that anything she said could have been used against her in the grand-jury proceedings.