SANTA ANA : Sanctions Anger College Teachers
About a dozen Rancho Santiago College faculty members stormed out of a meeting of the college’s board of trustees on Monday to protest the board’s decision to strip two trustees of their membership on county committees.
The board voted Monday to remove trustees Charles W. (Pete) Maddox and Brian E. Conley from their positions as official board representatives to various county organizations because the pair did not consult other board members before asking the Orange County district attorney’s office to investigate the business dealings of El Mercado, a swap meet held at the college each Sunday.
The two were replaced on three county education-related committees by trustees Carol Enos and John Dowden.
In a previous statement, board President Shirley Ralston said the two were being replaced to guard against “any future behavior . . . that might threaten the integrity of the college.”
Maddox said he has “no regrets” about calling for an investigation, and said he questions whether any liability was created by his and Conley’s action.
Faculty members, angered by the board’s action, left the meeting immediately after the board’s vote.
“I think the board’s actions are punitive,” said Regina Stanback-Stroud, president of the Academic Senate.
“This action makes these two less full-functioning board members than the rest. It is not necessary,” she said.
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