Recently fired president of Utah’s Dixie Technical College says she was the target of blackmail and collusion

Kelle Stephens, head of the St. George school since 2012, claims legislators pressured board of trustees for Utah’s network of technical colleges with threats to fire her or face budget cuts.

(Al Hartmann | Tribune file photo) A student at one of Utah's applied technology colleges, seen in 2015. Kelle Stephens, president of Dixie Applied Technology College in St. George, was fired Wednesday after a 6-5 vote by the board of trustees over the Utah System of Technical Colleges.