College Board Leader Survives Ouster Effort

A community college board president, under fire for seeking to hold a seminar on campus with a guest speaker who implicates Israel in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, overcame an effort Monday night to oust him from his presidency.

Marcia Milchiker and David Lang, members of the board of trustees of the South Orange County Community College District, sought the removal of Steven J. Frogue as president in what Milchiker conceded was a symbolic move. The motion was defeated, 4-3, the same split as many board votes since Frogue won reelection last year.

The vote came after 2 1/2 hours of often passionate testimony. Frogue supporters decried what they called the infringement of his free-speech rights and accused the Anti-Defamation League, which had criticized the course, for mounting a smear campaign against him.

His detractors accused him of hate mongering.

Frogue denied he was fostering hate, and a board ally, Dorothy Fortune, accused Milchiker of “playing the religion card for political gain.”

Milchiker said before the meeting that Frogue’s removal would help shore up the reputation of the 32,000-student district, which she says was hurt by news of Frogue’s planned seminar. He agreed to hold it off campus at an unspecified date and without using district funds after a public outcry last month.

The non-credit seminar was advertised as an examination of conspiracy theories surrounding the JFK assassination. One of four speakers the board voted in August to fly in for $5,000 in student fees contends the Holocaust is exaggerated and that Israeli government agents killed Kennedy.

Frogue’s one-year term as president, a largely ceremonial post rotated among the board members, expires Dec. 8. His four-year term on the board is up in 2000. A recall effort by community members is underway.

Milchiker, who is Jewish, said she believed Frogue should leave now so “our district can move on to heal the wounds” caused by the furor over the course, which she said would discuss “outrageous, scientifically unprovable, preposterous theories.”

“I really felt this has brought untold, unwanted and very negative press to our district,” Milchiker said before the meeting. Noting the widespread coverage of the issue in national media, she added: “It has really hurt the reputation of our district, nationally and internationally.”

An overflow crowd of about 100 attended the meeting; 18 of the 26 announced speakers spoke in favor of Frogue.

Among them were Joe Fields of Los Angeles who said: “The ADL is a criminal organization. They collect information and snoop and spy on people.”

Another speaker, James Scott, said: “This Israeli Mossad conspired to kill John F. Kennedy. Mr. Frogue has the right to conduct the seminar. I’m sick and tired of the thought-control police.”

But others supported Milchiker’s attempt to remove Frogue from his post.

Milt Jacobson, echoed many in saying he felt “ashamed and disgusted at what I’m hearing tonight. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

Frogue read a long statement.

“I again repudiate the malicious falsehoods of anti-Semitism or denial of the Holocaust,” he said. “I personally believe . . . the Holocaust is one of the great human atrocities of all ages.”

Frogue continued: “I have the utmost respect and regard for the Jewish faith and the Jewish people. I sincerely regret and apologize for any misperceptions to the contrary that have been fueled by a campaign of misinformation.”