Franchot: Towson University President Loeschke Should Resign

Comptroller Peter Franchot Wednesday called on Towson University President Maravene Loeschke to resign.

"The president of Towson, in my view, has forfeited her claim on moral leadership," Franchot said during the Board of Public Works meeting in Annapolis. "It's with a heavy heart, I believe, in the best interest of Towson University that she should resign."

The Towson University president was not present during the meeting. Instead, she was scheduled to speak at a breakfast meeting of the BWI Business Partnership about 30 minutes north of Annapolis.

Marina Cooper, deputy chief of staff to Loeschke, wrote in an email that Loeschkehas the support of the University of Maryland System, as well as students and faculty at the university.

"It's disappointing that Comptroller Franchot doesn't recognize that leaders must make tough decisions—and in this case one that addresses federal compliance and fiscal responsibility," Cooper wrote in the email. "The president will not resign."

Cooper added that Loeschke is "now focusing her attention on the opportunity provided by the Governor and Legislature and how the university can work with supporters to sustain baseball at Towson."

Franchot's comments came after nearly an hour of testimony by students, alumni and supporters of the university's men's baseball and soccer teams.

Loeschke announced last month that she was accepting the recommendation of a task force that called for the elimination of those two teams.

One month ago, Franchot and Gov. Martin O'Malley questioned the decision to eliminate the teams and called on Loeschke to appear before the board and explain the action.

Loeschke met privately with O'Malley and Franchot to discuss the issue. The meeting with the governor lead to a that was to save the baseball team but not the soccer program.

For their part, the baseball team would have to raise approximately $100,000 annually to help make the program self-sufficient—the only team with such a requirement.

The legislature later amended O'Malley's budget request and sent the money University of Maryland System which could use it to help the baseball team.

"The governor and legislature have provided a window of opportunity to raise money to sustain baseball," Loeschke said in an statement emailed Wednesday afternoon. "That is a positive, unexpected development. I look forward to taking full advantage of this opportunity to work with supporters and do all we can to save this program that is important to many of us."

As a result of the private meetings, O'Malley said Loeschke no longer needed to attend the April 17 board meeting and answer questions in public.

Franchot criticized Loeschke for not appearing publicly.