Acts of Racism Stir College Unrest : Harassment: A recent campus memo condemned flyers and phone calls aimed at 3 black employees. Staffers, teachers want more done to combat acts of prejudice.

Racial harassment of three black employees at Saddleback College prompted teachers and staff members this week to demand that the college district launch a more aggressive investigation.

More than 60 employees from Irvine and Saddleback colleges signed a resolution condemning the incidents, which occurred during the past six months, and presented it to the Saddleback Community College Board of Trustees at its weekly meeting.

The three employees received flyers with racial slurs through interoffice campus mail as well as harassing telephone calls both at home and at work, said Richard Sneed, district chancellor.

“What we want is a public condemnation by the board of these acts,” said Ronald B. Albright, an English language instructor at Saddleback College who presented the resolution. “We are looking for really strong statements and stands by the board. Obviously, (the situation) hasn’t been dealt with adequately. It disturbs us that it’s continuing, that it’s an ongoing thing.”

Last week, the chancellor issued a memo to all faculty and staff condemning the racial harassment. He stated in the memo that any student or employee implicated in the calls or letters will be expelled or fired.

“It is clear that the pernicious phenomenon of racism is resurgent in this country, and has resurfaced in this county,” Sneed stated in the memo. “We must stand our ground to oppose with all of our energies and means the denial of civil rights and respect in the workplace.”

Sneed has formed a cultural diversity task force to investigate the incidents and to examine current district policies on racial harassment.

“We have policies and procedures in place, but they may need dusting off,” Sneed said Tuesday.

The three black employees worked for Saddleback’s Operations and Support Services Department, which oversees custodians, groundskeepers, mechanics and maintenance workers.

“It has been shocking,” said Bill Hernandez, department supervisor. “What can you say? There are a lot of sick people out there.”

One of the employees, a groundskeeper, quit, but only because he got an offer of a better job, Hernandez said.

The harassment, the most recent of which was three weeks ago, were reported to campus Security Chief Dennis Rotzoll, who informed Sneed.

In addition to the resolution, Albright presented trustees with written suggestions, including an in-depth investigation by the district and explicit guidelines for employees to follow when reporting racial harassment.

“I think the chancellor is moving on this,” Albright said. “But we’d like to see the board do more. We want them to respond to our suggestions. We need to see some real strong direction coming from the top. Something more needs to be done.”

Board President Marcia Milchiker said after Albright’s presentation: “We are very committed to having a workplace and campus setting that will not in any way make anyone feel like they are less than anyone else.”