Lavish spending – not to mention frequent absences at important meetings – wound up costing the president of Montgomery College his job.

College trustees voted late last week to place Brian Keith Johnson on administrative leave with pay — effective immediately.

They also voted not to renew his contract.

With 60,000 students, Montgomery College is Maryland’s largest community college and one of the most highly regarded in the mid-Atlantic. Johnson has headed the college since February 2007.

The school’s trustees met for four hours before reaching an “overwhelming” vote to remove Johnson, according to The Washington Post.

Some of the charges against Johnson include:

• $4,051 spent on a hotel in Delhi
• $780 for a Boston limo service
• $302 at Borders bookstore
• Several hundred dollars for flowers

From July 2007 to this past April, Johnson racked up $58,165 on his corporate credit card, according to expense reports obtained by faculty members.

Johnson had an explanation for many of the expenses, such as saying the limo tab included several college representatives. He also said his credit card had been “compromised,” and there may have been fraudulent charges put on it, The Washington Post reported.

Official action against Johnson began early last week when 200 faculty members gave him a vote of no-confidence.

Did the trustees make the right move? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Tags: Brian Keith Johnson, Montgomery College