In 2009, the president of the university, Karen Pletz, pursued the possibility of offering a dual DO-MD degree. The idea of a dual DO-MD degree was very controversial and raised concerns within the osteopathic medical community. Several leaders of the profession formally requested the option be abandoned. Pletz was subsequently fired, but refrained from discussing the details of her dismissal as a lawsuit was underway. The lawsuit and firing related to financial disagreements between Pletz and the university. Later that day, Pletz filed a countersuit against the school for alleged wrongful termination. Pletz was indicted by federal prosecutors on March 31, 2011 for embezzling $1.5 million from KCU. Pletz committed suicide on November 22, 2011, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before the case went to trial.