In the wake of the coaching scandal involving the men’s basketball team at Rutgers University, and the embarrassment it has brought to the state university of New Jersey and the citizens of the Garden State, we call upon Governor Chris Christie to demand the resignation of Rutgers president, Dr. Robert Barchi.

Rutgers University has a storied history in intercollegiate athletics as the birthplace of college football. As the holder of such a treasured legacy Rutgers has a responsibility and opportunity to be a model institution of athletic accountability and academic excellence. Instead, we have witnessed New Jersey’s flagship institution of higher learning become a lowlight highlight reel on news reports across the country. The firing of the head basketball coach and subsequent departure of the assistant coach, athletic director and general counsel suggests a failure of leadership at the highest level of Rutgers University.

The institution will only regain its credibility when it is viewed as an institution guided by leadership that appreciates and understands its responsibility as a public institution charged with educating, nurturing and protecting its students. The students, professional staff, and alumni of Rutgers University and people of New Jersey deserve better.

Walter Fields, New Jersey Citizen

The New York Times - Rutgers Tries to Calm Furor as More Officials Quit