The University of Missouri's president has resigned amid controversy over his handling of racial tensions on campus that prompted several black football players to pledge not to take the field until he stepped down.
Tim Wolfe resigned as student protests mounted, saying it was important for students and faculty to “heal, not to hate,” and to move forward.
“I'm resigning as president of the University of Missouri system,” Wolfe said. “It's the right thing to do.”
“I take full responsibility for this frustration and I take full responsibility for the inaction that has occurred,” he said at a press conference.
Racial slurs have been directed at black students. In October, a swastika was drawn with human faeces on a dormitory wall, according to media reports.
Over the weekend, dozens of black players on the university's high-profile football team said they would boycott team activities, including a major game next Saturday, until Wolfe either stepped down or was removed. Head coach Gary Pinkel backed his players.