The former rector of Virginia Tech filed a lawsuit against Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) over her decision to fire him from the college’s board of visitors.
Spanberger ousted John Rocovich, who was appointed to the role by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), from the university board in late May, replacing him with board member Ed Baine, who also serves as executive vice president at Dominion Energy, the largest utility provider in the state. Rocovich filed her decision against the Montgomery County Circuit Court on Tuesday, asking it to reinstate him to the board.
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In her statement announcing his firing, Spanberger wrote that Rocovich’s “conduct has violated the Code of Conduct for Commonwealth Appointees to Boards, Authorities, & Commissions, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics, and the governing statutes requiring board members to act in accordance with the best interests of Virginia Tech.” She did not publicly elaborate on what conduct she was referring to, but cited the section of the Virginia code that declares the governor may remove any board member for “malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty.”
Rocovich took issue with Spanberger’s lack of stated reasoning in the lawsuit he filed, writing that she did not provide a specific reason “because none exist.”
“Governor Spanberger provided no such reasons,” Rocovich’s complaint reads. “That is because none exist. She identified no instance of Rocovich’s alleged misconduct because there is none. Governor Spanberger lacked cause to remove Rocovich, so her purported removal violated the Commonwealth’s code and constitution. This Court should right her wrong and order Rocovich’s reinstatement.”
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.
Spanberger tapped Baine, who was initially appointed to the board by Gov. Ralph Northam (D-VA) in 2018 and re-appointed by Youngkin, to fill Rocovich’s unexpired term through June 30, 2027. She appointed Sharon Brickhouse Martin, an executive from Virginia Hospital Center Health, to fill Baine’s open board position.
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“I want to thank Ed Baine and Sharon Martin for their service to the Virginia Tech community and our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said of the appointments. “I trust that these proud alumni will serve with a focus on upholding the excellence of this institution and maintaining the public’s trust.”
Rocovich’s firing is the latest debacle to hit Virginia’s higher education system, after Youngkin and Spanberger sparred over the selection to fill the University of Virginia’s presidential vacancy. The opening came after the Trump administration put pressure on former UVA President James Ryan to resign over the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
