The circumstances surrounding allegations of wrongful use of force on two counts by Sheriff’s personnel, one in April at L.A. Mission College and the other at Harbor College, needs to be addressed by the board of trustees.
At the heart of this complex problem is the district’s relationship with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
Some suggest that the Sheriff’s personnel are trained to deal more with criminals, than college students or faculty. Terminating their contract may not be the best resolution, but a process of review must begin.
The population of the L.A. Community College District needs to know if security service is being delivered equitably to all of the its nine campuses and whether Sheriff’s personnel have been trained to deal with a community college environment.
Darroch “Rocky” Young, LACCD chancellor has addressed student protest and faculty outrage over these issues with a written statement and a promise to meet with L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca.
It may conclude with an end to the festering conflicts at Mission College, but it may be a waste of energy at this point.
As of the Jan. 11 board of trustees meeting, which took place at Pierce College, students from multiple organizations at Mission College have been pleading for intervention.
As of that date they have been at a large majority of the regularly scheduled board meetings demanding investigation into the circumstances which ultimately led to the alleged assault of a 67-year-old political science teacher, the cancellation of student government elections at Mission and the temporary suspension of their vice president of student services.
There are two lessons here: the power of prevention and the power of neglect.
Neither the board, nor any other college leader at the meetings heeded the warnings of students.
Interim Mission College President Jose Leyba’s half-hearted attempt at mediation didn’t work. He will be leaving June 30. Will an another interim replace him until a permanent president is being selected?
This cycle will begin again and again unless this district takes a stance of careful preparation and prevention.
Appropriate procedures must be established as policy for Sheriff’s personnel and then disseminated to individual colleges, the Sheriff’s Department as well as students.
Young’s position is that colleges ought to operate independent of centralized control.
Yet when the administration of a campus becomes out of control-a precedent should be set so that the board of trustees along with other governing bodies may intervene to ensure the safety of everyone.