College District Trustees Meet on Chancellor

Trustees of the Ventura County Community College District are scheduled to meet tonight behind closed doors to discuss the fate of embattled Chancellor Philip Westin, but they are unlikely to take action despite his demands for an immediate resolution.

Instead, the five-member board will receive an update from a Los Angeles attorney hired to investigate Westin, who is under fire for charging taxpayers $119,000 in expenses over a four-year period. Trustees placed him on paid administrative leave five weeks ago, which means he can continue to collect his $203,000-a-year salary by staying home.

In an apparent effort to force the board’s hand, Westin sent a letter last week to trustees and acting Chancellor Jim Walker, demanding to be paid for the next 18 months while he looks for another job and that he retain the title of chancellor. He also demanded that the board issue a public statement saying he had done a good job.

“I think he’s got a lawyer and I think it’s his opening negotiating stance to get as much money out of the taxpayers as he can,” said Larry Miller, president of the Ventura County Federation of College Teachers. “His greed knows no end. He thinks he can get another job, which is a real fantasy because he is the talk of the state community college system.”

Westin declined to comment.

Board members said they could not discuss Westin’s future or the contents of his letter because he has a right to privacy regarding his employment.

“I don’t want to put the district into future liability by saying things that I shouldn’t be saying,” trustee Art Hernandez said.

“This is a personnel matter and we need to take it up with the board,” trustee Allan Jacobs said. “Everyone has a right to privacy regarding a personnel matter and that includes Dr. Westin.”

Board President Norman Nagel said trustees will hear a report tonight from attorney Mary Dowell of the law firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, who was hired last month to investigate the allegations against Westin and to advise them on how to proceed.

The trustees remain under pressure by taxpayers angered that the board gave Westin a $30,000 raise last spring, two months after demanding his resignation over allegations that he abused his expense account. After Westin was cleared of criminal wrongdoing and violating district policy, board members said they acted too hastily in demanding his resignation.

They said they agreed to boost Westin’s salary to make the chancellor’s pay more competitive with other college districts. But as the public’s outrage grew, the board switched course and decided to place Westin on administrative leave while it conducted an investigation of his expenses.

The district would have to pay Westin $305,000, or 18 months’ pay, if he is forced to resign, according to the terms of his contract. If trustees can demonstrate he violated district policy or broke the law, they could fire him “with cause,” voiding his contract.

Two trustees, Hernandez and John Tallman, are up for reelection in November. Jacobs is facing a recall effort in his east county district because of his support for Westin.

The board meeting begins at 7 p.m.