Valley College Settlement

* Re “A Victory Against Racial, Ethnic Barriers,” by Nat Hentoff, Commentary (Aug. 11), discussing the lawsuit filed by Janice Camarena Ingraham against the governing board of the San Bernardino Community College District:

After reading that article, I feel compelled as president of San Bernardino Valley College, as well as a responsible citizen and taxpayer, to accurately inform the public of the facts surrounding this lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that a Valley College teacher excluded Camarena from an English 101 class, stating the class was for blacks only and also that she was discouraged from participating in the Puente Project, which another teacher told her was only for Hispanic students. The teachers who Camarena claims made these statements are well-respected, caring and sensitive teachers who have taught at Valley College for years and who have devoted their careers to promoting academic success among their students. These teachers and Valley College have consistently and vigorously denied that Camarena was ever denied access to an English 101 class or that she was told that she could not enroll in the Puente Project.

A lawsuit alleging that Valley College excluded a student from its program is indeed ironic. Supreme among the commitments of Valley College is to provide educational opportunities and programs for all students.

The reason that SBCCD settled the Camarena case is simple. The reason is money. To proceed with the case to trial would cost an enormous amount of money that the district believed was more appropriately spent on the education of our students. Our belief in the lack of merit of the lawsuit was confirmed last month when the federal court dismissed Camarena’s claim against the president of the University of California.

Settling the case by agreeing to keep our programs open as we always have and avoiding expensive litigation seemed a more responsible approach for education, which is what we are all about.

DONALD L. SINGER

San Bernardino