Seton Hall University president Joseph Nyre announced his resignation in a message sent to the university community on Monday, according to The Asbury Park Press. 

“I have informed the Board of Regents that I will be taking a sabbatical during the upcoming year and then plan to relinquish my position as President,” Nyre wrote in his message.

Nyre’s departure stems from disagreements with some of the Board of Regents members over an incident at the Seton Hall Law School, in which a “small number of trusted, long-time employees” embezzled nearly $1 million over several years, which led to Nyre’s pushed for more oversight of the Law School and class with regents resistant to the change. 

“I have pledged my cooperation in assisting with the search for a new President and with making myself available as a resource for the Interim President during my sabbatical,” Nyre wrote, who was the previous President of Iona University, another Roman Catholic institution in New York, and got hired in 2019 as Seton Hall’s President — ending his five-year contract that was due in the summer of 2024, a year in advance. 

His departure marks another university president to resign in recent weeks: Stanford President Marc Tessier- Lavigne resigned after a scientific misconduct investigation, the Texas A&M University president resigned after fraught negotiation practices, and Thomas Jefferson University President after backlash over tweets.  

However, Seton Hall University recently named Katia Passerini, the school’s provost and executive vice president, as the Interim President while the university recruits the next successor. 

“Highly motived by Seton Hall’s Catholic mission, she was by far the strongest candidate for Provost three years ago and a natural choice for this new role,” the University said in a press release. 

“Seton Hall is fortunate to have Interim President Passerini at the helm as we recruit our next President through a national search that already has been authorized by the Board of Regents. Information about the appointment of an Interim Provost and Executive Vice President will be forthcoming,” the university said.