South County : Veteran Saddleback Trustee to Step Down

Veteran Saddleback Community College District trustee Eugene McKnight of San Juan Capistrano announced Monday that he will not seek reelection in November.

McKnight, 78, who has been on the district’s board of trustees eight years, said that he is endorsing Perry E. Jacobson of Dana Point, a Cal State Fullerton sociology professor, to succeed him.

During a morning press conference, McKnight discussed numerous issues, including the recent tensions in the Saddleback Community College District between the faculty association and Chancellor Larry Stevens. The association was active in an unsuccessful move earlier this year to promote a recall of three trustees; the move was aimed at urging the board of trustees to fire Stevens, whom the association has accused of being dictatorial.

The Saddleback Faculty Assn. has said it intends to make Stevens an issue in this fall’s election for three of the district’s seven trustee seats--including the seat being vacated by McKnight.

McKnight said Monday that he thinks it “would be unfortunate” if the trustee elections focused on the Stevens-faculty disputes. Asked his views on the controversy, McKnight said: “He (Stevens) seems to have a communication problem with the faculty.” He added that the current board of trustees has not moved to extend Stevens’ contract, which expires in two years.

Jacobson, who was at McKnight’s press conference, told reporters he has not taken a stand on the faculty association’s demand that Stevens be fired. “Right now, I can’t make a decision,” Jacobson said. “I’m not privy to all the information.”

McKnight, who has been on the board of trustees since March, 1977, has a reputation for asking sharp questions at board meetings. His probing of various issues included his interest in finding more expansion land for fast-growing Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. During his search, McKnight found that 4.5 acres of land previously given to a utility company as an easement weren’t, in fact, being used for power lines. McKnight succeeded in getting the land returned to the college.