Virginia Tech’s rector John Rocovich is pushing back against efforts by Gov. Abigail Spanberger to remove him from the university’s Board of Visitors over alleged ethics violations. Spanberger fired Rocovich, but Rocovich responded with a letter denying wrongdoing and arguing the removal effort is “deeply offensive” and legally unsupported. The dispute has split Virginia lawmakers along party lines. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell praised the governor’s move as a fix for politicization, while House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore defended Rocovich and demanded the governor specify the alleged violations. The case matters for higher education governance because the timing could disrupt presidential succession planning. Rocovich has said he hoped to replace outgoing President Tim Sands by July, while search timelines can stretch a year—heightening the operational stakes of the board challenge.