(Tampa Bay Times) While students at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg awaited a lashing from Hurricane Irma, the school’s leader fled the state for Atlanta and insinuated in an email to her boss that she remained on campus — going so far as to say things were quiet and that she heard birds chirping.
After the storm, USF officials moved to fire USFSP regional chancellor Sophia Wisniewska for incompetence and “lack of leadership,” criticizing her departure and alleging that she had hesitated to evacuate students as Irma grew more dangerous.
“Your conduct created an intolerable safety risk to our students and the USFSP community,” System President Judy Genshaft wrote in a draft termination letter.
