Board Weighs Action Against Westfield State President

Trustees of Westfield State University are weighing action against the school's president, Evan Dobelle, who has come under fire after reports of lavish spending during overseas travel and improper use of school credit cards.

The board is meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday and could move to suspend Dobelle. His lawyer has threatened to take legal action if that occurs.

Prior to the meeting, a union representing faculty and librarians at the state university voted no confidence in Dobelle by a more than 2-1 margin.

Dobelle has defended his spending and a spokesman for the president has alleged that trustees' chair Jack Flynn acted without authorization in hiring an accounting firm to review the president's expense reports.

The state's higher education commissioner says Dobelle's actions have damaged the university's reputation.