New Mexico Attorney General suing WNMU leaders

Controversy erupts as WNMU pays $1.9m buyout to outgoing president despite state’s legal effort to block it
Western New Mexico University (WNMU) has sparked controversy after paying outgoing president Joseph Shepard a $1.9 million buyout despite legal efforts by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez to block it.
New Mexico attorney general seeks to claw back WNMU president's $1.9M buyout
Raúl Torrez also filed a complaint seeking to end Joseph Shepard's separation agreement, which the lawsuit calls an "unconscionable contract."
New Mexico Attorney General files suit against Joseph Shepard and WNMU Board of Regents
Citing “greed, self-dealing, and arrogance,” Raúl Torrez announced a civil suit aimed at recovering the $1.9 million buyout awarded to WNMU’s outgoing president
WNMU regents resign amid $1.9M buyout for president
The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents is out amid a controversial $1.9 million payout they approved for the university's outgoing president.
AG tries to pause severance pay for WNMU President
Since 2011, Dr. Joseph Shepard has been the president of WNMU. This past year, he has been questioned for using university money on international trips and expensive furniture. During a board meeting in December, Shepard resigned as president days after getting a new agreement with a $1.9 million buyout.
NM AG Torrez seeks to stop WNMU president from spending his $1.9 million payout
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is seeking to stop outgoing Western New Mexico University President Joseph Shepard from spending a $1.9 million severance payment issued to him a week ago. Torrez filed a supplementary restraining order Thursday and a new complaint alleging additional violations on the part of Shepard and the university board of
New Mexico AG seeks to block $1.9M buyout for WNMU president
Raúl Torrez called the payment to Joseph Shepard “an egregious misuse of public funds and a betrayal of the Board's responsibility."
WNMU president 'refuses' to turn over $1.9 million severance payout amid growing criticism
"We reached out to his attorney and asked him to voluntarily submit that payment to the court — he refused to do that," NM Attorney General Raúl Torrez said.
WNMU president says he will fight litigation over $1.9M payout
As he prepares to step down amid ethics investigations, Western New Mexico University President Joe Shepard told the campus community on Friday that he'll fight litigation the state attorney general
New Mexico Attorney General suing WNMU leaders after outgoing president gets $1.9M payout
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After a year of scrutiny, Joseph Shepard to resign as WNMU president
Shepard and the regents have been under the microscope for more than a year after a 2023 Searchlight New Mexico investigation ...
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State AG seeks to restrain WNMU president from spending payout, invalidate contract
Learning that Western New Mexico University processed the $1.9 million severance payment to departing President Joseph ...
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New Mexico AG files lawsuit against WNMU board of regents
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez says nearly $2 million was already paid out to former Western New Mexico University President Dr. Joseph Shepard despite Torrez taking action to stop those ...
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4 of 5 Western New Mexico U Regents Resign Amid Controversy
Mounting scrutiny over a multimillion-dollar exit package for an outgoing president prompted the regents to resign.