Students at the University of the District of Columbia demonstrated Monday against President Allen Sessoms, whose travel expenses have caused controversy.
As students demanded Sessoms's resignation, he defended his travel -- including first class trips to England and the Middle East, where UDC has campuses -- saying it was necessary for the job.
Protesters said such spending is unconscionable in light of programs, classes and curriculum being scaled back.
"These are the things that the president does," he said. "The president goes and talks to these folks."
He defended a day spent in London on his way back from a trip to Cairo, saying he had a ticket that allowed him to get off the plane when it stopped in London at no extra cost.
"We are not satisfied with what he's saying," Veronica Alcontara said. "I feel, personally, that he is giving us the runaround. He is just saying the sweet, nice things that we want to hear, but he is not taking us seriously."
Sessoms met with student government representatives Monday.
"I asked for his resignation," Student Center President Michael Watson said. "He looked at me and said no. So the next step is that we'll be filing a civil action lawsuit against the president by the end of the week. And then we'll have a list of students, somewhere between 100 to 200, to testify in the coming days and weeks."
The D.C. Council is reviewing UDC spending.
