The president of the University of Missouri system announced his resignation today following protests and criticism of his handling of racist incidents on campus.
Tim Wolfe said his resignation is effective immediately at a special meeting of the system’s governing body, the Board of Curators.
For months, black students at the university have complained about racial slurs and other instances of racist behavior on campus. During an Oct. 10 homecoming parade, a group of black protestors confronted Wolfe directly, blocking his car. Wolfe did not get out to speak with the protestors, and police removed them.
Related: Missouri Players Join Protest to Oust System President
The situation escalated from there.
Earlier this month, graduate student Jonathan Butler began a hunger strike until Wolfe had either resigned or been fired from his position.
The situation came to a head over the weekend, when black football players announced that they would boycott team activities until Butler’s demands had been met. The rest of the team, including head coach Gary Pinkel, joined the protest in support.
The Mizzou Family stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players. #ConcernedStudent1950 GP pic.twitter.com/fMHbPPTTKl
— Coach Gary Pinkel (@GaryPinkel) November 8, 2015
"I take full responsibilty for the actions that have occurred," Wolfe said. "I have asked everybody to use my resignation to heal. Let's focus on changing what we can change today and in the future, not what we can't change in the past."
As late as this morning, the Tigers' upcoming game against BYU was believed to be in jeopardy.
Related: Missouri Protest Leaves Game Against BYU in Doubt
Other sports teams appeared to not be affected by the football team's stance. The Mizzou men's basketball team, for one, practiced Sunday and planned to play its home opener Friday as scheduled.
