UMass Law dean resigns after flap over credit card use

By Mary Carmichael, Globe Staff

Robert Ward, dean of the University of Massachusetts’ new law school in Dartmouth, said today he had made personal purchases on his university credit card but had reimbursed the school -- and the purchases had nothing to do with his decision to resign.

Ward, named dean of the law school last year, blamed his resignation on poor health in an undated letter to UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean MacCormack. “The two-hour daily commute and the pressure of building a world-class law school have taken a terrible toll on my health and my family,” the letter said.

David Guarino, a private public relations official Ward hired to represent him, said in an email that “the letter truly speaks for itself.”

But less than two hours later Ward released another statement. “Like many University officials, I was authorized to use a University credit card for official travel and other expenses. I reimbursed the University for any personal expenses which appeared on that card,” the statement read.

“An unrelated University audit revealed $2,235 in expenses which should have been reimbursed. The moment I was told of this oversight, I reimbursed the University fully and completely. This issue had no bearing on my decision to resign for personal and health reasons and it does absolutely nothing to diminish the great success we have had creating a successful, public law school in Massachusetts.”

Ward declined an interview request, but several sources said he had used the card to pay for family travel.

The university released its own statement saying simply it accepted the resignation and had begun searching for a replacement.

Ward made $200,000 a year. His resignation could create problems for the law school -- the founding of which was extremely controversial -- as it seeks accreditation from the American Bar Association this year. It leaves a leadership vaccuum at a critical time; MacCormack is scheduled to retire at the end of the school year.

Ward is currently the treasurer of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, a large legal charity where he is also a trustee. He taught law for more than 30 years at Suffolk Law School, the Southern New England School of Law, and the New England School of Law. He is also a former assistant district attorney for Suffolk County.

Ward is not the only law school official recently exposed for financial misconduct. Earlier this month, Douglas Leman, formerly a high-ranking official at the New England School of Law, plead edguilty to forging checks payable to himself and his wife worth $173,706 over two and a half years.