Jackson President Marcus Thompson resigned, continuing the challenges and turmoil at Jackson University.
Mississippi higher education institutions announced Thompson’s resignation on Wednesday afternoon, May 7, in a message for one paragraph. No specific reason was given, but said the resignation was “effective immediately”.
The departure of Thompson continues the steady rotation of the top of the largest HBCU in the country. Thompson has been the ninth president of Jackson for the past 15 years, counting temporary leaders.
The resignation came only two years after his predecessor Thomas K. Hudson resigned in March 2023. Hudson was on paid leave after the faculty of the faculty gave him a vote of no confidence.
Thompson’s resignation also comes just days after JSU is completed.
Denise Jones Gregory, conducted and Vice President of Academic Affairs will join as a temporary president.
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Dispute over the hiring of Marcus Thompson
Thompson’s path to the Presidency is the subject of public discourse and litigation, as IHL encourages the president inside instead of hiring a candidate from national demand; At that time, Thompson was the deputy commissioner and the IHL CEO.
During the last IHL meeting of 2023, the agenda is approaching the end without publicly naming a permanent JSU president. Eight months earlier, Elaine Hayes-Antany was acting president after IHL put the former Hudson on paid administrative leave.
As the November 2023 meeting was approaching, applauds exploded at closed doors and the guardians on board did not explain why. The applause was later related to the appointment of Thompson as the 13th Permanent President of the JSU.
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During the national demand, Hayes Anthony publicly advocates to remain in the position as a permanent president. When the Senate of the JSU Faculty issued a vote of no confidence in Hudson, which ultimately led to his resignation, the university’s faculty publicly supported Hayes Anthons for the next president.
Hayes-Antany did not make the initial interview circles for an interview with the national search for a new president.
On November 16, on the same day, IHL appointed Thompson, Debra Mace-Jackson, the head of the JSU headquarters, brought a lawsuit to the Southern Mississippi District Court of the US District Court, claiming that IHL’s sexual discrimination was being interviewed during national demand.
According to a court order on January 6, 2025, Thompson was not one of the 79 candidates in national search.
On May 28, 2024, Mace-Jackson again filed a case against IHL, claiming that violations of Title VII. In the Mace-Jackson costume, I said the IHL practice of hiring persons who did not apply, only once used the candidates for men.
In early February 2024, just over 70 days after Thompson began his new role, the JSU president sat for an exclusive interview with Clarion Ledger. When asked about his path to the Presidency, Thompson said there were no reservations or concerns about his appointment from domestic search rather than national demand.
At that time, Thompson told Clarion Ledger that every time an internal promotion happened, “great things happened.”
Denise Jones Gregory was named temporary president of Jackson State University on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
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The appointment of Thompson was the second time in recent years IHL has elected the university president from the inside. In 2019, Glen Boys, the IHL commissioner at that time, was appointed the new chancellor of the University of Mississippi. The decision, which came after a long national demand, was met with a return reaction by some students from the University of Mississippi and Community members who believe that national demand was not taken seriously.
Before becoming President of JSU, Thompson had an educational career, covering more than 20 years, in which he played roles in early childhood, K-12 and higher education, as well as a link between the IHL, IHL and the Eight State University of Mississippi, including JSU.
Pam Dakins, Charlie Drape, Ross Raylie and Licky Beverad have contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Marcus Thompson resigned as president of State University in Jackson