
New Mexico’s top prosecutor is suing Western New Mexico University's regents and outgoing president to try to undo a lucrative severance package that included a nearly $2 million payout approved in the wake of a scathing report that detailed wasteful spending and lax financial oversight at the school.
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez outlined a number of allegations that included breaches of fiduciary duty and violations of the state's open meetings law and state constitution. He also raised questions about who at the university rushed to issue a check to Shepard, noting that some regents already had resigned amid pressure from the governor.