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Officials at New Mexico Highlands University accused ousted President Neil Woolf of nepotism, financial mismanagement, procurement code violations, retaliation and a pattern of religious preferential treatment with employees who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is the latest in weeks of turmoil for the university, beginning May 1 when Woolf was placed on administrative leave without explanation, along with several high-ranking staff members at NMHU, including Provost Dann Brown and men鈥檚 basketball coach Zach Settembre. Woolf was terminated June 2.

Vice Presidents Paul Grindstaff, Johnny Montoya and David Lepre were terminated in May. Deanne Todd, executive assistant to the president; staffers Jessi Breitenstein and Vanessa Tenorio; Chad Mano, interim director of the graduate computer science program; and Chief of Police Clarence Romero were also terminated, court documents allege.

Kimberly Blea, who most recently served as vice president of student affairs at NMHU, has been appointed interim president.

The state auditor launched an investigation into NMHU on May 12, citing 鈥渟ubstantial concerns indicating systemic failures in procurement, contracting authority, financial management, and governance鈥� at the university.

In a response to the state auditor dated May 27, Highlands administration accused Woolf of bypassing the required processes to hire employees by posting hidden job links that were sent directly to preferred candidates.

The letter alleges Woolf, who is a member of the Latter-day Saints church, created new positions for Latter-day Saints candidates, and showed favoritism toward Latter-day Saints employees, whom he shielded from discipline while retaliating against those who were not Latter-day Saints congregants.

The regents allege that Grindstaff and Settembre were selected via inappropriate hiring methods because of their Latter-day Saints faith. The letter also alleges Woolf showed favoritism to other staffers who are members of the church. Woolf also allegedly awarded a contract to a Latter-day Saints-owned company, and sought to recruit for the football program in areas where the church maintains a significant presence in Hawaii and American Samoa.

Settembre told the Journal that the situation was the opposite: Woolf and other Highlands staff members had been discriminated against because of their affiliation with the Latter-day Saints church, not the other way around.

鈥淚t's been the most glaring, obvious example of religious discrimination in the workplace that I've ever seen,鈥� he said.

Settembre said both he and Woolf were terminated without cause.

鈥淚鈥檓 being paid according to my contract and am receiving severance pay, and feel really bad about what鈥檚 being done to an unbelievably strong president and a great man,鈥� Settembre said.

Settembre was hired in April 2025. Regents allege that NMHU鈥檚 human resources was told Settembre would be selected for the position before he applied. His position was subsequently posted and he applied the same day. A hiring proposal followed two days later and he started three days after that, which the board characterizes as pre-selection. Settembre said he was unaware of any potential hiring violations.

鈥淚 was interviewed by a committee, and the athletic director at the time, Shanna Halalilo, let me know that I was the committee鈥檚 choice. I have no idea who else was interviewed,鈥� he said.

Halalilo filed a lawsuit against the embattled university on May 21, alleging racial, religious and sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation.

Settembre received a three-year contract extension just days before he was placed on leave. NMHU鈥檚 letter to the auditor alleges that Athletic Director Scott Noble 鈥� whose signature was required on the contract 鈥� was against Settembre鈥檚 contract extension because of NCAA violations and 鈥渙ther personnel issues.鈥� Regents allege Grindstaff forged Noble鈥檚 signature electronically, therefore he is not entitled to his $22,500 severance payment.

Settembre said he committed no NCAA violations, but was asked by Woolf to sit out one game because of 鈥渁 handful of technical fouls.鈥� As for the alleged forged signature, Settembre said it鈥檚 not possible to fake an electronic signature on DocuSign, a program that allows official signatures via computer, sent directly to the recipient鈥檚 email.

鈥淚 love Highlands,鈥� Settembre said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really heartbroken, what鈥檚 happened.鈥�

The letter alleges Woolf bypassed required hiring practices for Grindstaff鈥檚 position as well. Grindstaff was appointed interim vice president of advancement in August 2024 at a salary of $185,000, then Woolf appointed him to the full-time position eight months later without consulting the Board of Regents.

Grindstaff was simultaneously employed as an athletics official at Vanderbilt University, according to the letter, a violation of NMHU policy.

Regents also allege that while employed, Grindstaff attempted to drive a university vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, but was stopped by NMHU police.

Grindstaff did not return a phone call from the Journal seeking comment.

The regents accused Woolf of nepotism, alleging that he hired his wife鈥檚 cousin at an annual salary of $150,000 in March of this year. Prior to the cousin鈥檚 full-time employment, he was a vendor and a contractor at NMHU and received about $25,000 in payments. The hiring of a family member is a violation of the New Mexico Nepotism Act, regents allege. The cousin was terminated after Woolf was placed on leave.

Woolf filed his own lawsuit against the NMHU Board of Regents May 28, alleging he had been fired for refusing to comply with nepotism of another sort.

Woolf alleged in the suit that he received a directive from Board of Regents Chair Frank Sanchez to direct more than $600,000 in state funds to a local contractor who is a 鈥渇riend and ally鈥� of Sanchez and his brother-in-law, Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas.

Last year, NMHU received $1.2 million from the Legislature for the construction of a new track facility at the university鈥檚 Las Vegas campus. The complaint alleges Woolf received a request from Sanchez to award a construction contract to Franken Construction, a company with offices in Las Vegas operated by a friend of Sanchez and Campos.

Woolf alleges in the complaint that he refused to comply, telling Sanchez the contract would go through the competitive bidding process. Woolf awarded the contract to Ampere, a Missouri-based construction firm specializing in sports design.

Campos declined to comment about the allegations when reached by phone at the beginning of June. Sanchez did not respond to a Journal email.

Nicholas Hart, an attorney for Woolf, said in an email that he met with university attorneys on May 20 about Woolf鈥檚 suit, and that NMHU general counsel Doajo Hicks told Hart that Woolf could 鈥渜uietly take the severance pay he was owed under his contract or be terminated for cause.鈥�

Hart alleges Hicks sent the letter to the auditor as retaliation for Woolf鈥檚 refusal 鈥渢o be bullied.鈥�

鈥淚t is not a shock that a letter sent in retaliation for Dr. Woolf鈥檚 lawsuit is full of inaccuracies and misrepresentations. To be absolutely clear, the allegations against Dr. Woolf are false. Dr. Woolf will be amending his complaint to include this as a retaliatory act, and he will also add a religious discrimination claim for the letter鈥檚 disgusting attack on his faith,鈥� Hart said.

Hicks denied that the letter was retaliatory and said he was simply fulfilling a May 27 deadline to respond to the state auditor or face fines.

鈥淭he letter speaks for itself,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing in a point of retaliation, and all of the stuff that鈥檚 in the letter can be substantiated with a point of evidence.鈥�

The letter also alleges financial mismanagement, alleging Woolf spent $1 million over the budgeted amount for financial expenditures, and alleges a $1 million deficit in the athletics department. NMHU is on fiscal watch by the New Mexico Higher Education Department and is prohibited from accumulating additional debt.

HED spokesperson Auriella Ortiz said in a statement that the department was aware of the shakeup at Highlands and that its priority was ensuring stability for students, faculty and staff.

鈥淲e are working closely with the university to ensure the higher education institution is meeting state requirements, strengthening communication practices, and providing all necessary information in a timely and transparent manner. Full cooperation is required as corrective actions move forward,鈥� Ortiz said.

Woolf was appointed to the presidency in 2024 after a national search. He most recently served as the executive vice president at Southern Oregon University.

NMHU has just over 2,800 students. The public, state-run university鈥檚 flagship campus is in Las Vegas, with satellite locations in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Santa Fe.

NMHU faculty union President Kathy Jenkins told the Journal in May that university employees had problems with Woolf since his appointment in 2024.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had union issues. They鈥檙e not following our (collective bargaining agreements),鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淲e wrote the Board of Regents two months ago expressing our concern, and they told us to basically stay in our lane and that they supported the president. And then all of a sudden this happened.鈥�

Jenkins said discontent worsened after faculty and staff raised workplace safety issues at the university鈥檚 Ivan Hilton Science Building, which closed for several months starting Sept. 3, 2024, after reports of a chemical spill, the Las Vegas Optic reported.

Marty Lujan, a custodian at NMHU who worked in the building, died 11 days later. An autopsy report obtained by the Optic found Lujan died of complications from diabetes, though union officials said he showed signs of chemical exposure.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been really upset,鈥� Jenkins said.

Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.