MiraCosta struggled through 2007

By: PHILIP K. IRELAND - Staff Writer
Lawsuits and buyouts cost the college millions.
This story has been corrected since it's original posting | Friday, January 25, 2008 4:38 PM PST ∞

OCEANSIDE -- Though MiraCosta College continued to roil in 2007 as attorneys wrangled lawsuits, an embattled chief executive left with a big pile of cash, and trustees continued their public bickering and private deal-making, an end to the strife may be in sight.

The political infighting cast a shadow on the breezy hilltop campus of well-maintained buildings, green trim lawns and tall trees, shading such positives as the dedication of a $8.7 million horticulture building and the launch of a new nursing program.

The turmoil began in late 2005 with allegations that employees in the horticulture department were selling district-owned palm trees for personal profit.

The scandal ripped the once-placid community college into divided camps, pitting teachers against the college president and trustee against trustee.

An ensuing investigation led to the early retirement or dismissal of several employees, multiple lawsuits, a stunning public-session allegation of hate crimes, and the expenditure of millions in taxpayer money -- including more than $2 million to buy top-level administrators out of their contracts.

But 2008 may see the end of the controversy. Just a few lawsuits are left to settle. And in November, three of seven trustees will face elections, which could break the 4-3 split that typifies votes on most issues involving the palm tree scandal.

The year in review

College-watchers saw several actions last year that grew out of the scandal:

  • A private investigator employed by the college finished his 18-month inquiry into palm tree sales in April, concluding that an employee sold trees for personal profit, and that several administrators knew of the practice but took no action.

  • Also last spring, a deputy San Diego district attorney concluded a separate palm tree investigation, resulting in a guilty plea by horticulture department employee Alleen Texeira for the theft of $305.

  • In a March vote, four out of five instructors said they had no confidence in the ability of the governing board to effectively run the district.

  • In June, someone defaced the home of Trustee Charles Adams -- who is black -- with "KKK," a reference to the hate group Ku Klux Klan. A few days later Adams accused two faculty leaders and fellow trustees with the hate crime during a public board meeting. Adams later apologized for the accusations.

  • Former college President Victoria Munoz Richart negotiated a $1.6 million severance package in June, saying trustees had improperly evaluated her performance in public.

  • In July, district officials tallied legal spending on the investigation at $1.2 million.

  • Local legal activist Leon Page filed suit against the college in the fall seeking to overturn Richart's severance deal as an illegal gift of public funds.

  • The San Diego County district attorney's office launched a probe in August into the legality of the Richart deal.

  • A political action group representing teachers filed papers in July to recall Trustees Adams and Greg Post, but later ended the recall effort.

  • During a special visit to the college in September to gauge the scandal's impact on students, an agency that certifies colleges across the West criticized trustees for their continued failure to resolve nearly two years of political turmoil.

  • Dean of Instruction Eileen Kraskouskas resigned

  • Former Vice President of Instruction Julie Hatoff was dismissed in December, negotiating a $535,000 severance package that ended two competing legal actions.

    Entrenched attitudes

    That long list of contentious issues polarized trustees into two voting blocs. Trustees Adams, Post, Carolyn Batiste and Rudy Fernandez formed a voting majority that backed Richart. They repeatedly blocked attempts by minority Trustees Gloria Carranza, Judy Strattan and Jacqueline Simon to discuss issues regarding the scandal, the ensuing investigation, the mounting legal costs and myriad political and moral questions that grew out of the controversy.

    Many instructors, backed by minority trustees, say Richart used the palm-tree investigation as a pretext for eliminating administrators who challenged Richart's primacy.

    Richart and the board majority said they were required by law and morality to ferret out wrongdoing. Post was among four elected officials who stood steadfastly behind Richart. In June, Post defended spending more than $1 million in taxpayer money to investigate and prosecute the case, saying that wrongdoing must investigated and ended at any cost.

    The campus divide was perhaps at its widest when board President Adams stood up in a summer meeting, pointed his finger at faculty leaders Jonathan Cole and Abdy Afzali and at Trustees Carranza and Strattan, accused them of vandalizing his home with a symbol of hate. The accusations brought audible gasps from the audience and immediate denials from those Adams accused.

    A light in sight

    Despite the political intrigues and entrenched attitudes of faculty and trustees alike, little of the controversy has affected students, said Academic Senate President Jonathan Cole.

    "The legal wrangling did not get into the classroom," Cole said. "The quality of education at MiraCosta College has not suffered and we're very proud of that."

    Few of more than a dozen students interviewed this fall said they had even heard of the palm-tree controversy. Student Trustee Benjamin Weiner told board members that the scandal has not created problems for students.

    Student Tyler Jones, former editor of the MiraCosta College newspaper, said "The Chariot" has published two articles about aspects of the controversy. But in general, students have more important things to worry about, he said.

    "It's business as usual in the classroom," Tyler said.

    Looking forward, Cole said selection of a new college president will be big news in 2008. Cole lauded the work of interim college President John Hendrickson, hired in July to lead the district in the search for Richart's permanent replacement. Hendrickson has assembled a representative team to help with the search, Cole said.

    "(Hendrickson is) good at bringing together different constituencies into that search process," Cole said. "Everybody is feeling much more hopeful about the district. He's done a good job stabilizing the district, and a good job opening up communication."

    The district hopes to hire a college president by June.

    -- Contact staff writer Philip K. Ireland at (760) 901-4043 or pireland@nctimes.com.

    CORRECTION: A story that ran on nctimes.com summarized the legal and political turmoil over the past two years at MiraCosta College. The story should have said that former Dean of Instruction Eileen Kraskouskas resigned. We apologize.

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    Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

    Nadine wrote on Jan 2, 2008 3:23 AM:Leon Page for MCC Bored!

    LAWSON............ wrote on Jan 2, 2008 7:53 AM:I would like to thank Mr.Leon Page &
    Ron Cozad for fighting this ...
    at MiraCosta College without any cost
    to the TAXPAYERS of the district......
    saving the taxpayers some $1.6 million
    dollars!

    jvc wrote on Jan 2, 2008 8:48 AM:All is well then? Not until the board president and her ilk are gone. Just more chance for shenanigans. And what of the DA's investigation? ... Serve them right. And I AM the real jvc. Just prove me wrong.

    Chuckles wrote on Jan 2, 2008 8:56 AM:Call it the "Richart Legacy." What a sad, sorry chapter in the history of this terrific institution. Those November elections can't come soon enough.

    Concerned Taxpayer wrote on Jan 2, 2008 9:27 AM:Good writing, Mr. Ireland. The only error you made is in saying it cost the college millions. Make that "taxpayers" and "students" and it's more accurate. As for Hatoff, a simple apology to her and no advice from Richart to get a lawyer and there could have been a professional parting with no cost. Instead, the board acted shamefully and treated her like a piece of trash, and that cost is impossible to calculate. It could have been done differently if the board acted like professionals.

    GFN wrote on Jan 2, 2008 10:09 AM:And it seems Palomar college is next. The school has an administration that is incapable of negotiating a labor contract with their classified staff or faculty. They also stomped all over a faculty member's rights when a student falsely alleged that civil rights were violated. If admin doesn't admit to wrongdoing and goes to court, you can bet it will cost more in legal fees than a simple settlement would cost now. For some reason, those in "administration", local, state, or federal seem unable to say, "Ooops, mistakes were made; sorry; won't happen again."

    Did Anyone Notice? wrote on Jan 2, 2008 12:50 PM:. . . that Richart did not appear to respond to Mr. Post's offer to negotiate a settlement if she would donate her ill-begotten wealth (my words, not his)to the Foundation? Could it be that she never really had the college's best at heart? Gee, she made out like a bandit and can't even spare a few hundred thousand for the students? Hard to believe.

    Richart's legacy wrote on Jan 2, 2008 1:21 PM:It used to be that those of us who work at MiraCosta were proud of it. Now I am embarassed and ashamed. The good things that still happen at MCC do not get into the papers as much as this whole sad story.

    Woody wrote on Jan 2, 2008 3:41 PM:Mr. Page and his side-kick Cozad are walking a fine line. I wouldn't be surprised if those two end up in court facing slander suits one of these days.

    Out of Town Comparison wrote on Jan 2, 2008 4:02 PM:We moved to north county from outside CA a few years ago and our kids have taken classes at MCC (and Palomar). They had been taking classes at the community college where we came from. The local community college teachers are head and shoulders above those we left behind. MCC is a really worthwhile institution, and I sincerely hope that the administration mess won't hurt the academics.

    TCMC wrote on Jan 2, 2008 4:27 PM:Well woody Mr. Page is just fine have you heard of FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS? How about the word ANTI TRUST? How abut JPA's and brokers? How about JUSTICE?

    SELFJPA wrote on Jan 2, 2008 4:30 PM:Hey North County Times it figures some of the blogs against Page come from the entrenchment lawyers. They just like things in the North County just the way they are.

    jvc wrote on Jan 2, 2008 6:06 PM:I did not make the post of 8:48AM!
    Why is the NCT allowing this fraud!

    Jack wrote on Jan 2, 2008 7:29 PM:Well, I don't know jack, but I just don't get it. If Mr. Page took unbrage at a comment in a NCT blog, why not just respond in the blog? Why bother to write a letter to the editor in today's newspaper?

    jvc wrote on Jan 3, 2008 7:28 AM:Richart should give back all of the money. What a joke!

    jvc wrote on Jan 3, 2008 8:57 AM:I did not make the post of 7:28AM!
    Why is the NCT allowing this fraud!

    pvc wrote on Jan 3, 2008 9:04 AM:This otherwise pretty good article is remiss in not pointing out that the District Attorney's investigation did not find Hatoff guilty of any wrongdoing. Leon Page is indeed doing us taxpayers a service. Let's hope that the money RIchart wants to pocket for herself despite creating this mess remains in the people's coffers.

    What a shame wrote on Jan 3, 2008 10:28 AM:It is a shame that it took a lawyer with a lawyer to have this issue make it to court to be reviewed.

    hvc wrote on Jan 3, 2008 11:07 AM:I agree with pvc (but not jvc). DA Mike Still went out of his way to state that neither Kraskouskas nor Hatoff knew about or condoned the fraud on campus. That was the point in time when the Board could have stepped back, apologized, and short-circuited the fiasco which led to the two settlements totaling over 2 million dollars.

    The Shadow wrote on Jan 3, 2008 8:37 PM:Do you think problems at MCC are over? Wrong!! There are always employees who are trying to nickel and dime the college to death. Load/teaching hours issues are an ongoing discussion. - and who knows anything about other bullies besides VMR?? Where is the policy re: respect for employees by managers?

    MCCHR staffer wrote on Jan 4, 2008 11:28 AM:Mr. Ireland, get your facts right. The District Attorney investigation stated specifically that no evidence existed to show that Kraskouskas and Hatoff were guilty of any wrongdoing in the palm tree situation. Kraskouskas was not fired. Hatoff was not dismissed. Why is the NCT printing false information? What are your sources?

    MackDaddy wrote on Jan 4, 2008 7:32 PM:I agree with jvc - Richart should give all of the money back. What a joke.

    jvc wrote on Jan 5, 2008 11:36 AM:MackDaddy, you a joke!

    jvc wrote on Jan 5, 2008 12:06 PM:Canst thou, O cruel! say I love thee not MCC,
    When I against myself with thee partake
    MCC?
    Do I not think on thee, when I forget
    MCC
    Am of myself, all tyrant, for thy sake
    MCC?
    Who hateth thee that I do call my friend MCC?
    On whom frown'st thou that I frown upon
    MCC?
    Nay, if thou lour'st on me, do not spend MCC
    Revenge upon myself with present moan
    MCC?
    What merit do I in myself respect MCC,
    That is so proud thy service to despise
    MCC,
    When all best doth worship thy defect
    MCC,
    Commanded by the motion of thine eyes MCC?
    But, love, hate on, for now I know thy
    mind MCC;
    Those that can see thou lovest,and I
    am blind MCC!

    jvc wrote on Jan 5, 2008 1:03 PM:I am not the post of 12:06PM! Why is the NCT allowing this fraud! What kind of mind would post such drivel?

    jvc wrote on Jan 5, 2008 1:32 PM:I am not the post of 1:03PM!
    What kind of mind would think to use
    my same pseudonym?
    Why is the NCT allowing this fraud!

    jvc wrote on Jan 5, 2008 2:52 PM:I am not the post of 1:03PM!
    What kind of mind would think you use my same pseudonym! Why is the NCT
    allowing this fraud?

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