The New Mexico Highlands University Board of Regents dismissed President Neil Woolf without cause shortly after placing him on paid administrative leave. The Board said it will comply with separation pay and accrued benefits, while citing privacy limits on disclosing personnel details under New Mexico law. Woolf’s dismissal follows litigation: he filed a lawsuit alleging he was sidelined after refusing an order to cancel an existing campus construction contract and divert it to a friend of board chair Frank Sanchez. The board’s statement emphasized it made the decision with “care” and said it respects the public’s interest in leadership and governance. For the institution, the immediate impact is governance instability and uncertainty over ongoing construction and leadership transitions. For higher-ed oversight more broadly, the case spotlights friction points between board authority, procurement decisions, and public-employee confidentiality requirements.