RICHMOND, Va. — A wave of controversy has erupted following Governor Abigail Spanberger’s decision to remove John Rocovich from his role as rector on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. This decision, announced on Thursday, has sparked debate due to the lack of detailed reasoning shared by the governor.
The dismissal stems from Spanberger’s concerns regarding Rocovich’s behavior, although specific details have not been disclosed. Rocovich, in response, is challenging the decision, seeking clarity on the accusations against him.
In her official communication to Rocovich, Spanberger asserted that his actions breached several codes, including the Code of Conduct for Commonwealth Appointees to Boards, Authorities & Commissions, alongside the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics. She further cited statutes mandating board members to prioritize Virginia Tech’s best interests.
The governor argued that these breaches provide “sufficient cause” for Rocovich’s removal under a Virginia law. This law empowers the governor to dismiss board members from public colleges and universities for reasons such as “malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty.”
Despite requests for more information on the specific nature of Rocovich’s alleged misconduct, Spanberger’s office has declined to offer further details at this time, leaving the situation shrouded in some uncertainty.
Meanwhile, in a letter of his own to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Candi Mundon King — which Spanberger was CC’d on — Rocovich said he recently received a call from King’s office, “purportedly on behalf of Governor Abigail Spanberger, requesting that I resign my position as Rector and member of the Board of Visitors.”
Rocovich then acknowledged he received Spanberger’s letter, saying: “I found that call and the subsequent letter deeply offensive, legally unsupported and wholly inconsistent with the Governor’s own publicly-stated principles regarding the proper relationship between the executive branch and the governance of Virginia’s public universities.”
Rocovich went on to say he wouldn’t resign and that there were no grounds for his removal under the code section cited by Spanberger.
“I have committed no malfeasance,” Rocovich said. “I have not been derelict in my duties. I have attended meetings, fulfilled my obligations, and acted at all times in the best interests of Virginia Tech.”
It’s important to note that the code section Spanberger used to remove Rocovich says, “The Governor shall set forth in a written public statement [their] reasons for removing any member,” and “the Governor is the sole judge of the sufficiency of the cause for removal.”
This controversy is taking place as Virginia Tech searches for its next president.