UPDATE: Sources tell WBRZ that Chancellor-Dean of Southern Ag Center Bobby Phills has been placed on administrative leave. 

"This will allow Southern University System President Ray L. Belton’s administration to continue to review the personnel matter and to determine if disciplinary action is warranted pursuant to the faculty handbook," the university said Friday.

Phills resigned his position as chancellor-dean of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center/College of Agriculture.

******

BATON ROUGE – Bobby Phills, the Chancellor-Dean of Southern Ag Center, has resigned amid some sort of internal investigation, the WBRZ Investigative Unit learned.

Phills resigned Friday.

“…This is a personnel matter,” Southern said, and added it would not comment further.

Sources told WBRZ Chief Investigator Chris Nakamoto, Phills’ abrupt resignation came about after an investigation by the university’s human resources department.

Phills’ resignation comes as Southern enters the medical marijuana industry. Phills’ resignation is unrelated to any of the medicinal research just beginning at the Southern Ag Center.

As the agency’s head, Phills was often at the forefront of development related to the project.

*********************

Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz