SC State trustees release letters to justify Elzey’s firing

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina State University trustees say fired President Thomas Elzey often didn’t communicate properly with them, including one time when a utility was threatening to shut off the school’s power.

A lawyer for the trustees released two letters Tuesday that the board said were its basis for firing Elzey the day before.

In a January letter, trustees chairman William Small wrote the board was getting calls from employees who were losing jobs and they had no idea those decisions were being made. The letter also said Elzey was in Atlanta when the university’s power was about to be shut off.

Elzey’s lawyer said in court documents filed Tuesday that Elzey felt he dealt with all the problems in the January letter before he was placed on administrative leave in February.