Compton College Trustees Rescind Contract

Under scrutiny for their perquisites and money handling, the board of trustees of Compton Community College this week rescinded a consulting contract with the brother of board member Ignacio Pena.

The decision came during a special meeting Thursday night, called after a report in The Times raised questions about the contract and disclosed that the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office was reviewing a number of board actions. The Times reported that board members had spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars over the last four years on contracts they have refused to explain, while receiving perks -- from credit cards to free use of cars -- not commonly available to directors of much larger community college districts.

Board members voted 4 to 1 to rescind the $3,000 per month contract of Carlos Pena, whose duties were to advise the college on campus construction. Ignacio Pena was the only board member to vote against canceling the contract.

It had been renewed on July 8 in a 3-2 vote, with Ignacio Pena voting in favor.

Pena complained Thursday that the board, including himself, had voted on his brother’s contract more than once, and that no one had questioned whether it was illegal or unethical.

“I was not told that it was illegal,” Pena said.

He said his brother joined “the long list of Hispanics” who have not been allowed to succeed in Compton.

Board members said Carlos Pena had done a good job, but that the board faced pressure from the public and from faculty members who cited the contract as evidence of corruption.

Lawrence Rosenzweig, a lawyer for a union of college employees, had declared the contract illegal. On Aug. 18, Rosenzweig filed a claim for damages -- a prerequisite for filing a lawsuit -- against the Compton Community College District in Los Angeles County Superior Court.