Jackson State University president Thomas Hudson has resigned after spending nearly two weeks on paid administrative leave for reasons that remain unclear, Mississippi Today reported.
The move—announced Tuesday during Jackson State’s spring break—comes after Hudson was placed on administrative leave for what was previously described as a “personnel matter” by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, which oversees Mississippi’s public universities. Hudson will remain on leave until his resignation becomes effective March 31.
Elayne Hayes-Anthony has been appointed acting president of the historically Black university.
Hudson had served as president since 2020. His exit continues a revolving door at Jackson State, which has had seven presidents, counting interims, since 2010, The Clarion Ledger reported. Hudson, a Jackson State graduate, replaced William Bynum Jr., who resigned in 2020 after he was charged with and later found guilty of soliciting a sex worker.
