She announced her own death on social media.
Writing in a Facebook post, she wrote, "If you are reading this, know that I have transitioned to be with the ancestors after a courageous battle with cancer. While I deeply wished for more time with each of you, I am profoundly thankful for every moment we shared - the conversations, the laughter, the lessons, the growth, and the love".
McPhail was a trailblazer. She became the first woman and the first Black person to serve as president of Cypress College in Southern California.
In 2020, McPhail was appointed the 13th president of Saint Augustine's, where her late husband, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, had served as president before his death from COVID-19 in 2020.
She was fired in December 2023 amid tensions with the school's board of trustees.
McPhail later sued the Historically Black College and University, claiming the termination was tied to a complaint she filed asserting gender discrimination.
The board denied those claims.
"Saint Augustine's University acknowledges the passing of Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail, who served as our 13th president from 2021 to 2023," the university said in a statement to ABC11. "We extend our thoughts, prayers, and condolences to her family and loved ones during this time."
McPhail was 80 years old.
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