Brian Williams announced Feb. 7 that he would briefly step down from his role as anchor of NBC Nightly News as the network investigates whether he accurately reported some of his experiences during the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina, among other events.
The network's decision to retroactively fact-check his stories followed a controversy sparked by Williams' assertion that he had been in a helicopter that was shot down in Iraq in 2003, a story he has told multiple times since then. But several veterans challenged the story, putting Williams on the defensive and opening him to a host of questions, criticism and ridicule.
Williams has close ties with Elon University, where his son, Doug, attended college. Williams delivered Elon's Commencement address in 2013, when his son was a member of the graduating class.
In an interview with the Burlington Times-News, Dan Anderson, vice president of University Communications, said Elon would maintain its relationship with Williams, who has donated money to build the university's new School of Communications. Williams is also a member of the School of Communications advisory board.
Check back for more details as this story develops.