Former Jackson State University President William Bynum Jr. has resigned after being charged for his involvement in a prostitution ring.

Bynum Jr. resigned as president via press release on Monday after being among 17 people busted in a prostitution sting in Mississippi over the weekend, reports the Jackson Free Press.

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning said it will meet in the near future to discuss Bynum’s replacement, reports USA Today. Shortly after news broke of his arrest, the board announced Bynum's resignation and an emergency board meeting to address the situation.

The board released an announcement naming Jackson State's chief diversity officer Thomas Hudson as the acting president.

As special assistant to the president and chief diversity officer, Hudson served on the executive cabinet and provided guidance to senior leadership on all topics related to the university’s future course and trajectory, per the release.

“We are extremely pleased that Thomas Hudson has agreed to serve as Acting President,” said board President Hal Parker. “As both an alumnus and a current staff member, he has a deep love for and understanding of the campus and all it means to the students, faculty, staff, alumni and the state.”

According to USA Today, police in Clinton, Mississippi, arrested Bynum and charged him with procuring the services of a prostitute, false statement of identity and possession of marijuana.

Before joining Jackson State in 2017, Bynum served for four years as president of another HBCU, Mississippi Valley State University. He worked as an administrator at Morehouse University prior to his tenure at MVSU, according to his biography on JSU’s website.

Also included in the list of those arrested was professor Shonda McCarthy, who serves as director of Jackson State art galleries. Her charges were nearly identical to Bynum's, including procuring services of a prostitute and possession of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle.

According to the Jackson Free Press, over the weekend of February 7, Clinton police detectives conducted the sting by making contact with offenders online through the dark web. Services and location at a local hotel were agreed upon through this exchange.

The two-day operation resulted in 17 arrests with eight felony charges. The arrests spanned multiple charges including prostitution, procuring the services of a prostitute, promoting prostitution, conspiracy to promote prostitution and various controlled substance violations.

Prostitution-Ring

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