UTSA President Romo placed on administrative leave pending "conduct review"

Amid an investigation into "allegations related to his conduct," longtime University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo has been placed on administrative leave, UT System officials said Tuesday. 

Romo had been set to retire in August after nearly two decades atop UTSA. A search for his replacement began last September. 

No details about the investigation have been released, and UT System spokeswoman Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said the system would have no further comment. UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven announced Romo's leave in a short letter to the San Antonio community Tuesday afternoon. 

System leaders are still planning to hire a new UTSA president in time for him or her to start on Sept. 1. In the meantime, Pedro Reyes, special assistant to the chancellor and an education policy professor at UT-Austin, will serve as acting president. 

The full text of McRaven's letter is below:

Dear UT San Antonio Community,

It is my duty to inform you that University of Texas at San Antonio President Ricardo Romo has been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, pending a review of allegations related to his conduct. Pedro Reyes, Ph.D., former executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at The University of Texas System, and currently special assistant to the chancellor and professor of education policy at UT Austin, will act in the role of university president during the review. The search for Dr. Romo’s successor is proceeding on schedule, with a new president slated to begin by September 1, 2017.

Respectfully,
William H. McRaven

Read more: 

• Ricardo Romo announced in September that he's leaving the top post at University of Texas at San Antonio after 18 years. He oversaw the university during a time of massive growth. 
• Earlier this month, the Texas Senate approved three new University of Texas System regents, even though some Democrats complained about the board's lack of diversity.

Disclosure: The University of Texas System and the University of Texas at San Antonio have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.