"John Rocovich, the rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, was removed Wednesday by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, but he asserted a day later that he will not resign his post and called the governor’s action 'deeply offensive' and 'legally unsupported.'

In a letter notifying Rocovich of his firing, Spanberger accused him of conduct that violated the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics, the code of conduct for state appointees and governing statutes 'requiring board members to act in accordance with the best interest of Virginia Tech.'

Under state law, a governor may remove a board member for 'malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty' and must publicly lay out the specific reasons in a written public statement. 

State law also says that 'the Governor is the sole judge of the sufficiency of the cause for removal.'

Rocovich argued that 'no such grounds' for his removal exist," reports Cardinal News.

Photo: John Rocovich (right) was removed as rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors by the governor this week. He's pictured at a recent board meeting with university President Tim Sands (left) and William "Jack" Davis (center), who accepted a copy of a resolution in honor of his late wife, former Vice Rector Sandy Davis. Courtesy of Virginia Tech.