Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro said she plans to resign, announcing her decision in a letter circulated university-wide on Wednesday morning in the wake of a complaint in which school administrators alleged she bullied and intimidated employees. Wednesday was Toro's last working day, and under an agreement with the university she will remain an employee until Oct. 1, when she will formally retire.
CCSU President Zulma Toro to resign after complaint alleging she bullied staff
Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro said she plans to resign, announcing her decision in a letter circulated university-wide on Wednesday morning in the wake of a complaint in which school administrators alleged she bullied and intimidated employees. Wednesday was Toro's last working day, and under an agreement with the university she will remain an employee until Oct. 1, when she will formally retire.
Lisa Bigelow, president of CCSU's administrative faculty union, filed the complaint following an incident at an off-site leadership retreat in August, according to the Connecticut Mirror. CT Examiner reported that during the retreat, Toro allegedly screamed at an administrator who contradicted her, then screamed at the rest of the staff before canceling the remainder of the event.
The complaint also alleged that Toro had verbally abused staff on other occasions and that she made staff members take care of her mother and dog, according to the Mirror. The Mirror reported that its attempts to reach Toro and Bigelow on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
In her letter, Toro made only an oblique reference to the allegations against her, writing, "It is time now for new leadership to tackle the challenges ahead. The last few weeks have been unbelievably hard on me, my family, and so many across our Central community." She also praised the university's accomplishments during a tenure of almost 10 years and wrote, "We have worked hard and accomplished extraordinary things together; because of that hard work, I truly believe that Central's best days are still to come."
Sam Norton, a spokesperson for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, said in a statement that Toro's resignation "follows discussions between Dr. Toro and CSCU leadership about the best path forward for Central," and that the investigation into her conduct will not continue following her resignation and retirement. Norton said an announcement regarding interim leadership will be made in the coming days.
Toro's departure is the latest in a string of recent high-level departures from the CSCU system. Earlier this year, Interim Chancellor John Maduko resigned in response to allegations of sexual misconduct. Not long after, Marty Guay, chair of the CSCU Board of Regents, resigned amid allegations that he urged a victim of Maduko's not to report the misconduct. CSCU General Counsel Karen Buffkin has been placed on paid administrative leave amid questions over how she handled the complaint against Maduko.
- The source does not state Toro's response to the specific allegations in the complaint beyond the oblique reference in her letter.
- The source does not identify the administrator or other staff members described in the complaint, or the location of the August retreat.
- The source does not state the terms of the agreement between Toro and the university beyond her retirement date of Oct. 1.
- The source states that an announcement on interim leadership will be made in the coming days but does not name a candidate or a date.
- The source does not state the outcome of the matters involving John Maduko, Marty Guay, or Karen Buffkin.
- The source states the story was updated but does not specify what was changed.
Read the original at CT Mirror