The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
By Cole Edwards
A member of VSU’s administration resigned March 23, three days after an encounter with campus police.
Dr. Kimberly Luse, former VSU Chief of Staff, had a run-in with police around 11:45 p.m. on March 20 following the President’s Scholarship Gala at VSU, according to police.
VSU Police said they noticed that Dr. Luse appeared to be under the influence of alcohol while walking in front of Palms Dining Hall.
Dr. McKinney sent out an email March 23 confirming Dr. Luse’s resignation and stating all communications and media relations activities would now be reported to Andy Clark, vice president of enrollment, marketing and communications.
“I am not at liberty to speak about her reasons behind resigning,” Clark said in an article published by WCTV. “I just know that she resigned (Monday) afternoon, and that basically she tendered that resignation to the President, and beyond that I cannot discuss any personnel matters,”
Luse was not charged in the incident. President William McKinney appointed her to the chief of staff position in July 2014.
So sorry to hear. I am a past victim of Bill.
There was no incident. After an academic year of having me misrepresented in this publication I would hope that at this point someone would publish something truthful about me. I am not the Gestapo. I did not come to VSU to do anything other than contribute to the students who came through the same fist generation college experience that I did. I had no idea that the animosity against the president and the community would end up with me being treated this way. The incident was nothing more than me asking for an escort to my car and me calling for a designated driver to pick me up. I made a good decision that night. If I hadn’t there would have been something photographed or me cited, or even arrested. To date, I’ve been contacted about running naked in the fountain on the great lawn, having an affair with President McKinney, and stripping to use the bathroom in the woods. I’ve never been treated anywhere the way I’ve been treated here…with “southern hospitality”….I’ve shut down my twitter account after Tracy Woodard, who I do not know, kept retweeting all my tweets such as, “thanks for all my wonderful new VSU family” after my cervical surgery last November. I don’t even know her. I wish VSU all the best. And, no, President McKinney did not stand up for me, but also never approached me in any way that was inappropriate. I don’t know him beyond his professional life, but cannot imagine him being in an affair, and well, as for me, I also don’t do that. It would seem like what has happened is bad enough, but apparently not for so many people. I have no idea what has happened to garner such vitriol before my arrival but I know I wasn’t here and didn’t do it. I’ve been very private. I am a daughter of an 82 year old mother, a mother of four and a grandmother of five. I put myself through school like so many of the students here and arrived hoping to be helpful and contribute. I turned down other opportunities all the way to San Francisco hoping to be a part of VSU. I’ve found almost nothing but total rejection upon my arrival and to my fear a leader who charged me with tasks that later made him uncomfortable. To those of you who now feel badly because you were ugly to me as a result of me coming here to support my boss… I forgive you. I look at everything as a learning experience and I have learned a great deal about what I will never do as a president. One day I will get there. To those of you (all four) that have checked in on me in the interim…bless you. And by the way bless everyone at VSU. So many good people here…and I just can’t help but love the students and all the promise here. All the best, always….