Union Files Grievance Over Firing of Coach

The union representing Ventura County Community College District instructors has formally appealed the firing of Ventura College basketball coach Virgil Watson.

District trustees voted two weeks ago not to renew Watson’s teaching contract, citing a performance review that detailed his poor teaching ability and a lack of basic communication and math skills.

Evaluations by other instructors noted that Watson provided little or no instruction to students in his weight-training class and that his grading system is inconsistent. Officials also accused the coach of several unspecified recruiting violations.

Local 1828 of the American Federation of Teachers on Tuesday filed a grievance with the district, saying administrators may have violated Watson’s contract during the review and evaluation process, according to Harry Korn, chairman of the local’s grievance committee.

“I’m hoping this action can overturn the board’s decision,” Watson said. “Filing the grievance is just one of the processes we have to go through. . . . We do feel we have a good case.”

Lou Carpiac, Watson’s attorney, said Wednesday that he plans to file a separate appeal with the district based on alleged violations of his client’s due process, invasion of privacy and character defamation.

Specifically, Carpiac said he is angered that Chancellor Philip Westin mentioned in a public meeting that Watson had been the target of a sexual-harassment allegation. Watson acknowledges having a relationship with a 41-year-old student who was not in any of his classes. But Westin said the relationship, though consensual, was nonetheless unethical and unprofessional.

“We are still evaluating available courses of action and are looking into issues of Brown Act violations,” said Carpiac, who maintains the board of trustees did not adhere to California’s public meeting law by swiftly voting not to renew Watson’s contract, which ends May 16.

“We have several reasons to believe that a Brown Act violation occurred, including the fact that there was no deliberation among the trustees,” Carpiac said. “After the public comments ended, the board briefly conferred and then immediately voted. This would lead one to believe that some deliberation had occurred previously.”

Although personnel matters are usually held during closed-door meetings, Carpiac and Watson requested that the contract renewal be discussed openly during the trustees’ March 11 meeting. More than 70 supports showed up to encourage the board to retain Watson.

Although the union and its attorneys will have the lead role in dealing with the district on Watson’s termination, Carpiac said he anticipates participating in that process because crossover issues are involved.

District policy is for instructors’ performance evaluations to occur annually, and if deficiencies are found then a tenure committee, the college president, the chancellor and the board of trustees decide what action to take.

In Watson’s case, the tenure review committee had initially decided to continue Watson’s contract. But after meeting with Ventura College President Larry Calderon and discussing his findings, the committee changed its position.

Rather than allow Watson to respond, college officials said they decided not to continue his contract because his teaching skills were considered to be at such a low level.

Westin and the trustees who voted to fire Watson could not be reached Wednesday for comment. Trustee Robert Gonzales, the only board member who did not vote to end Watson’s contract, said he could not comment because of litigation threatened by Watson’s attorney.

Watson replaced Phil Matthews as basketball coach on an interim basis before the 1995-96 season and led the team to its second consecutive state championship. He was hired as a full-time instructor and coach at Ventura College for this school year.