Nichols College announced Tuesday night that it has accepted the resignation of President Glenn Sulmasy, effective immediately.

The Dudley, Mass. school said Sulmasy’s resignation comes amid its own investigation after CNN reported that the former law professor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, exchanged sexually suggestive messages with a cadet he taught at the academy nearly a decade ago.

“In light of these reports and facts uncovered to date during the College’s ongoing investigation, and their impact on President Sulmasy’s ability to lead Nichols College, the Board strongly believes the institution’s best interest is to pursue new leadership,” the college said in a statement.

The college also said its investigator, Clifford & Kenny, LLP, will soon issue a formal report, but it does not intend to share the report publicly.

Sulmasy began as president of Nichols on July 1, 2021. Before that he served as provost and chief academic officer at Bryant University. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, he joined the academy faculty in 2001. He was a law professor and led the department of humanities. He retired from the Coast Guard in 2015 with the rank of captain.

According to CNN, Coast Guard attorneys recommended in early 2016 that Sulmasy be charged with conduct unbecoming an officer, but he was never prosecuted.

Sulmasy’s attorney, Jeffrey Robbins, has defended his client, according to CNN, which said Robbins claimed prosecutors characterized “the intimate texts in question” as consensual.

Nichols College said its vice president for advancement, Bill Pieczynski, will continue in his role as acting president as it launches a national search for a new president.