Minnesota's loss of McKinley Boston and Clem Haskins leaves hole in black leadership; campus has been criticized for its lack of diversity.

ST. PAUL _ Two top black leaders have left the University of Minnesota as a result of the academic misconduct scandal, and the loss of that important link to the black community is keenly felt.

Former coach Clem Haskins left in June with a $1.5 million buyout, and McKinley Boston, vice president of student development and athletics, will finish in June.

Investigators concluded that Haskins knew about the cheating and fostered a climate that allowed it to happen. They also chided Boston for not heading off the fraud, concluding there was a lack of institutional control.

Their absence creates a void.

``In black neighborhoods we're very …