The December meeting of the SOCCCD Board of Trustees: LIVE AND DIRECT!

     6:21 - We're here early at the Ronnie Reagan tomb of solitude, waiting for the board to emerge from their closed session, where, among other things, they will be reflecting on Lisa Alvarez's (aka Rebel Girl's) complaint against the district.
     Some background: Back in August, it came to light that, at some point, an unbalanced ex-student had written an 8-page, single-spaced letter throwing absurd charges of sexual misconduct at Lisa. (The student wrote an equally unhinged letter about another female faculty member, this one in the Social Sciences.)
     I have read parts of the letter, and I assure you that it is disturbing.
     Now, in fact, the college had been in possession of these letters but did not bother to alert the two faculty to their existence for weeks!
     So what did Roquemore and Co. actually do? They evidently judged the letters to be essentially non-threatening; they proceeded to pursue the letter-writer's lurid charges and thus the faculty were investigated. (They were eventually "cleared.")
     In this instance and in others, the college has demonstrated worrisome incompetence with regard to threats to the safety of faculty and others.
     In the face of the college and district's unaccountable failure to inform her of the worrisome letter—and the continued failure of administration to acknowledge this snafu—Lisa and attorney V. James deSimone filed a complaint.
     In response, the district wrote a letter essentially rejecting her complaint and leaving the matter of security deficiencies at that. 
     Tonight, I expect that Lisa will address the situation during public comments.
     More to come....

     6:39 - Three or four of the trustees are lurking. We're still waiting for Wright, Jay, et al.
     6:42 - All present, except for Milchiker. Her son is getting married someplace.

     6:44 - MEETING OPENS.. Prendergast reports out: 7-0 reject Lisa Alvarez' complaint...... etc.
     Invocation, by Prendergast.
     Lang: "we salute the flag of this great nation"

     Jemal: Oath of office for Prendergast and Whitt who were recently reelected.
     They do the oath, right hands high. Upholding the Constitution....
     Pretty clumsy stuff. Laughter.
     Prendergast acknowledges support of his "amazing wife."

     They return to their perches, all feathers in place.

     Now: annual organizational meeting; election of officers.
     Any nominations for board president? Jay nominates Jemal. Will demur at this time. Been Pres for last three years. It's important to have rotation of officers. So I decline.
     Any other motions? Whitt nominates Prendergast for President. Seconded by Wright, who briefly awakens with a snort. They vote. It's unanimous, except Prendergast, abstains, natch.
     Next, VP. Whitt nominates Jemal. Jemal accepts. Unanimous (Jemal Abstains)
     Office of Clerk: nominations. Whitt nominates Wright, "a great mentor to me." "Very intuitive."
     They vote: unanimous, etc..
     Next, secretary and assist. secretary. Blah, blah blah.
     Committees in the district. School Dist. organization. Blah blah blah.
     Musical chairs, various committees.

     7:10 - Recess ("musical chairs," they explain, etc.)

     7:16 - Back in session; now, TJ Prendergast is President of the Board.

     PUBLIC COMMENTS.

     Lisa Alvarez: She describes the disturbing letter filed by an unhinged student. Lisa was not informed of the letter until weeks after the fact. Owing to the college's disappointing response, she says, I filed a complaint. I received the district's response which distorted the facts, the timetable, etc. My concern is campus safety, not compensation. Our concerns are routinely diminished and dismissed.
     "Lead," she said.

     Prendergast: "thank you." [So, that's it.]

Board reports:

David Lang: congrats to former officers of the board. Fabulous job.

Barbara Jay: congrats to new officers. Attended the "feast of lights." "Outstanding." Attended nursing pinning, etc. "Wonderful." Blah blah blah. She simply reports what she attended. It was all "wonderful." She really appreciated that African number.

Tim Jemal: thank you, board, for allowing me to be Pres. A good board. Lots of passion, civility. He, too, attended "nurses pinning ceremony." "Fabulous." Holiday party at IVC. Saddleback Holiday party was also great. Great college. Great district.
     Great

Jim Wright: congrats TJ, et al. I also attended blah blah blah. Nurse pinning, yadda yadda. Laser this, Laser that. Tells some yarn about Gooding, Idaho. Goes back to sleep.

Terri Whitt: wishes everyone a wonderful holiday. "Let there be harmony." Really enjoys Christmas songs. So proud of the district. Thanks the board. "I've learned so much." Thanks to new officers. Blah blah blah
Blah

TJ Prendergast: thank you, thank you. Thanks to Jemal. "wishful holiday season." It's not happy for everyone, he says. Blah blah blah.

Student Trustee Evelyn Huong: attended this and that. (She's as cute as a button.) Student safety forum, blah blah blah. "Student safety is a right." Happy holidays.

Chancellor Burke: Happy holidays. First opportunity to attend nurses' pinning. Something at IVC. "Lots of spirit shown." Thanks Jemal for leadership. She hands him a plaque. He takes it. Photo op.
      Click

College Presidents reports:

Roquemore (IVC): Congrats to new leadership. Kari Tucker: teacher of the year. Spoke to ASG. Very rewarding. Involved in Honors Program. "I am an idiot," he seems to say.

President (?) (SC): congrats to new officers. Women's cross country winners. Blah blah blah.

Student government officers...blah blah blah. Homelessness among students throughout the state. A serious problem. Student forum, etc. Issues of student safety, etc. "Cramathon." Stress reduction workshops.

Board requests for reports? None.
No discussion item.

Consent Calendar: any pulls? None [It's democracy in action, folks.]
They vote: unanimous

GENERAL ACTION ITEMS.

6.1 - A $734K National Science Foundation grant. Lang has concerns. Someone comes up to explain. "We're the lead college," she says. Talks about hubs and replication. STEM core cohorts. Blah blah blah. "Program model is very successful." Saddleback is the leader. Lang: how do we use outside consultants? They yammer.
     "It's a big deal, isn't it?" says Lang. Yep.
     Wright: "this is a big deal."
     People kept saying "STEM" and mentioned big money. So everyone had a stupid smile. The feeling was: gosh we must be excellent. Maybe someone is.
     They voted. Unanimous yes

6.2 - related grant. Unanimous yes

6.3 - Study Abroad, Costa Rica. Lang: zip lines, white-water... I was a little concerned about risk, he peeps. Wants reassurance. Ladies come up: those are extra activities. So is district at risk? $51 million in liability coverage. So we're covered.

6.4 - Salmanaca, Spain, study abroad. They vote: unanimous

6.5 - Santander, Spain, study abroad. They vote: unanimous

6.6 - Energy operating services.... They vote: unanimous

6.7 - Something about Snap-on, Lang: says that our chancellor had a good experience with this at Pierce College. Maybe the same for us? Lady comes up: something about prices being matched. A guy comes up to explain. Blah blah blah. They vote. Unanimous.

6.8 - Use of facilities? Capistrano Unified. They vote: unanimous

6.9 - Randy Erickson Law Firm. Mentions Warren Kinsler, longtime counsel for 18 years. Brown Act, etc. They vote: unanimous

6.10 - Security services at ATEP. Jemal: asks Chancellor Burke to explain the contract. Supplement to day security we already have. Blah blah blah. Lang: got different bids. What exactly will they be doing with their protection services? Maybe driving by? Scarfin' doughnuts? Answer: they're on site, they patrol. Digital monitoring. Whitt: was there an option of using our own people, part time? Could nurses do it instead? Davit K of IVC gets up: says something, who knows what. Whitt seems to be insisting on applying her nursing experiences to this situation. Jemal: the campus is a combo project IVC/SC, but there's only one building there now and it's IVC's. At some later date, there'll be two buildings, including SC building. Are we looking ahead to this?  They vote: unanimous. (except Terri Whitt abstaining; she's quietly peevish)

6..11 - another NSF thing. Unanimous yes.

6..12 - BP1500 pulled. (?) blah blah blah. Yellow section deleted. They vote: unanimous

6.13 - More board policy revision - for review and study They vote. unanimous

6.14 - Workday inc. Jemal: strong expression of concern about Workday a couple of years ago. Have things improved? Is there some support among classified staff for Workday? "A loaded question." Har har. "Yes, workday has gotten better." Happy with it? No. Trying to make improvements to it. Trying to make it easier to work with. I'll say this: It's better than scrapping and starting over. Workday is probably the second best among stuff available. They all have pluses and minuses. That it's in the cloud is a good thing but also a bad thing. Jemal: best to just stick with Workday for now? Yes. Bramucci: blah blah blah. The initial problems have lessened. Whitt: refers to hospital experiences again.... She seems dissatisfied with the dissatisfaction with Workday. They vote: Whitt abstains, others yes.

6.15 - Personnel actions, academic. K Feldus included. Six cases read out. They vote: unanimous, (except Whitt abstains. She's peeved again, thinking about nurses)

6..16 - Canvas conversation stipend. They vote: Only Lang votes "no"

6.17 - classified personnel actions. They vote: unanimous

6.18 - They vote, unanimous

6.19 - employment agreement, Dr. Elliot Stern, President, Saddleback College
JEMAL: will start at Saddleback College next month. The Chancellor set a process that was a collaboration. All very good candidates. Looking forward to Stern. Impressive intellectual curiosity. Perhaps will transform SC in a meaningful way. They vote: unanimous. Wright abstains, others yes

6.20 - IVC student discipline. Expulsion of IVC student. They vote: unanimous

6.21 - IVC student discipline. Expulsion of IVC student. They vote: unanimous

6.22 - IVC President, resigns in shame. [—sorry, I was daydreaming]

REPORTS:
7.1 - vision for success update
7.2 - list of board requested reports None
7.3 - college speakers
7.4 - none
7.5 - Facilites plan
7.6 - monthly financial status report
7.7 - Retiree trust fund

8..0 reports from admin and governance groups

A. Saddleback College Ac Senate - jokey
B. Faculty Association - faculty safety is a primary concern of district. "Safety shouldn't be politicized; should be a right," Thanks Lisa Alvarez. Reminded board they need to lead re safety. Seems to elude to Lisa's case. Supports her position. Eloquence from Kurt
C. IVC Academic Senate - June M. Underscores FA remarks re safety, I guess. Campus safety; faculty have lost faith in the process, More dialogue necessary. Thanks
D.. Bramucci: blah blah blah
E.. Human Resources: restful holidays.
Etc.
I'm out of here. 

IVC President Roquemore, feeling heat, issues two apologies in one day

Roquemore

     Some time in September, I was told by a reliable person at IVC that the college had received an anonymous student complaint about an alleged incident in my classroom. According to the complaint, I had “threatened” a student. Further, according to my informant, IVC President Glenn Roquemore, an old political opponent (and a target of much negatory verbiage here on DtB), had taken the matter to, of all people, the Academic Senate President—i.e., a member of faculty.
     That’s a clear violation of an old and widely-known policy here at the college. And it was a clear violation of confidentiality.
     On Tuesday, Sept. 25, I wrote the following email to the Faculty Association (union):

Kurt and Kathy:

     I've been told that June M, [IVC] Senate President, was recently informed by President Roquemore that an incident occurred in which I "threatened" a student.
     I find this odd. At no point have I been informed that a student has registered a complaint about me. I have received no communication from my dean or from any other administrator about a student complaint.
     It is my understanding that there are procedures in place according to which student complaints first go to the relevant Dean who then asks the student to work things out with the instructor. The procedures do not allow an administrator to contact and inform other faculty about some alleged faculty misconduct prior to the above mentioned dean-level action.
     Roquemore's action would seem to be a serious violation of process. I should mention that, up to this moment, I have received no communication from anyone, including any administrator, concerning a student complaint.
     Is there anything you can do to determine the facts in this matter and to determine whether this violation [of process, of confidentiality] has occurred? 

     --Roy Bauer, Philosophy

     That same day, I received a response from the union president:

Hi Roy:

     Your understanding and characterization of how complaints are generally handled is consistent with mine.
     Kathy has far more knowledge and experience than I do in these matters, so I'm going to first listen and learn.
     The Faculty Association will verify what procedures are in place, ascertain the facts in this matter, help determine whether a violation has occurred, and, if a violation has occurred, proceed appropriately.
    I am particularly concerned, as you are Roy, about the possibility of an administrator (in this case apparently President Roquemore) contacting and informing other faculty about alleged misconduct by another faculty, especially if in violation of policy/procedure.
     More to come, 

     Kurt

     On the 26th, I received the following email from Kathy S, the IVC union grievance officer:

June

     I certainly concur. Even were June the FA grievance chair, it would be inappropriate for any administrator, let alone the president, to contact one faculty member about an allegation like this about another faculty member. …..With your permission, Roy, I’ll ask June. Perhaps that will clarify the situation. ... If there is some other course of action you’d like me to pursue, please let me know.

     Then, on the 27th, I received an email from Chris McDonald, IVC’s VP of Instruction:

Hi Roy,

     We received an anonymous student complaint that I would like to discuss with you. I will ask Megan … to arrange a time for us to meet during the week of October 8. You may choose to have a Union Representative accompany you to the meeting.

     That day, I responded to McDonald:

     Sounds good. I tend to be free from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Kathy S.

     On the 29th, the Kathy wrote me, recommending that I bring a union rep to the meeting with McDonald.
     Eventually, a date and time for the meeting—11:00 p.m., Oct 11—was determined by McDonald’s office. I responded: “Sounds good. I'll be there.”
     It turned out that Kathy couldn’t make it at that time, and so I informed her that I would simply go alone.
     And so I met with McDonald on the 11th. Afterward, I wrote the grievance officer, telling her that the meeting went well: “Nothing was done,” I said, “aside from Chris's noting that he had a meeting with me about an anonymous complaint.”
     Naturally, I wanted to pursue Roquemore’s violation of process. I filled out the grievance form, describing the situation exactly as I had in my letter of Sept. 25. The union made some minor modifications and sent it back.
     On the 13th, I wrote to the union President:

     Kurt, the statement looks fine.
     My only "suggestion" … is that the "relief requested" include …. the college President's admission that his action (of discussing this incident with faculty and others, thereby violating confidentiality) was inappropriate and/or regrettable.

     On the same day, Kurt wrote back, saying, “I'll strongly recommend the [inclusion of the] college President's admission (per your language below).”

     On the 19th, Kurt wrote me an update after he had consulted with various union officials. I was informed that “The Grievance Chairs believe that … you should file a complaint directly with the Chancellor.” (I have yet to do that.)
     “[V]iolating confidentiality,” someone had reminded Kurt, “is not a small thing.”
     Finally, Kurt wrote: “Roy, please let Kathy know whether you want to file a complaint, a grievance, or both, and she can help if/as you wish.”
     That day, I wrote Kathy, indicating that I wanted to pursue both. Kathy then set about scheduling a meeting of Roquemore, Kathy, and me.
     The decision had been made by one of the union’s grievance officers (I think) not to include a “written apology” as part of the remedy. The union president disagreed, but I went along with that decision.
     I informed Kathy that “I see nothing to gain in meeting with him—with my meeting with him.” And so the plan was for Kathy to meet with Roquemore without me. Eventually, a meeting was scheduled for Dec. 6—yesterday, just before the IVC Academic Senate meeting (at 2:00 p.m.).
     Yesterday, as the senate meeting concluded (it had gone extra minutes), Kathy, with an air of victory, accosted me. She told me (over the din) that she had met with Roquemore and that I should look at my email where I’d find some sort of apology.
     Here it is:

Dear Roy,

Kurt

     I became aware of an anonymous student complaint that involved one of your classes. Normally your dean would notify you of this complaint. Your dean, at the time, was an applicant for the full time position in your School and you were one of the committee members. As a result, it was determined that the dean, in this instance, should not be the one to notify you. In seeking advice on who should provide you with the complaint (just for information and no action indicated), I found the VPI and the academic senate president meeting alone and decided to pose the question to them. I shared the matter with the academic senate president because, in part, there was a potential issue with a hiring committee. Faculty participation on a hiring committee is an academic senate responsibility. No information was shared regarding the details of the complaint, other than a student was claiming to be disturbed by language being used in the classroom by you. I also stated that this information should be treated as confidential and that no action was being considered but you should be informed. I understand that the VPI shared this information with you.
     Today [?!], I learned that you are concerned that I shared this information with the academic senate president. In retrospect, I realize that the best choice would have been to discuss the matter with the Faculty Association (President, Grievance Chair). I apologize for any concern that this issue has caused and I will seek advice from the Faculty Association on matters like this in the future. 

Very Respectfully,
Glenn R. Roquemore, PhD

     This is a ridiculous letter. “[I]t was determined” (note the passive voice), he says, “that the dean, in this instance, should not be the one to notify you.“
     Why? Because her informing me of the existence of an anonymous complaint would cause me to resent her?
     Why on Earth would it do that?

Glenn vacations with probationary faculty (Mr Scott, at left).

* * *

     Like his hero, Donald Trump, Glenn Roquemore is not averse to prevarication, when convenient.
     Back in 1998, we produced the precursor to “Dissent the Blog,” a newsletter, called “Dissent,” that routinely criticized board members, the IVC college president, union officers, and various others. (They were closely allied.) People read it, liked it, even loved it. The district eventually responded by putting a letter into my personnel file that asserted that, in Dissent (and the ‘Vine), I had violated the district’s "discrimination" and "workplace violence" policies.
     The charges were absurd.
     The District expected me to shut down the newsletter. Instead, we continued publishing, saltier than ever.
     And I went to court (with the estimable Carol Sobel), appealing to the First Amendment.
     On Oct. 25, 1999, the case finally made it to Judge Gary Feess of the U.S. District Court, in Los Angeles. Roquemore was part of the team that attempted to shore up the defense of the district’s preposterous action against me. He was among several Mathurians that provided lurid declarations, accusing me of threats.
     Roquemore declared that I had threatened him in his office. In fact, there was no threat. I had told him that if he continued to hitch his wagon to the odious President Raghu Mathur, he would “go down.” Roquemore argued that such language was a threat of violence.
     Judge Feess wasn’t buying it:

FEESS: …even if you take into account this so-called threat that "You're going down"—which is kind of street talk for meaning: when this administration fails, you're going with it—now, I don't think anybody necessarily would interpret, under the circumstances that they may reasonably interpret "you're going down" to mean that Mr. Bauer was going to engage in violence.

Do you have some evidence that Mr. Bauer actually, in fact, on any occasion has assaulted anyone? [They had none.]

MR. LARSEN [the district’s lawyer]: You know, I think we submitted in declarations incidents which were fairly close. [He once told someone:] "You fucking asshole." Violent in other people's face. [This is a reference to an incident, described in a declaration by Ken Woodward, in which Bauer, upon being treated to one of Woodward’s infantile needlings, muttered, “You fucking asshole,” as he walked away.]
. . ..
FEESS: Well, "You fucking asshole," if that's an assault, then the courts of the state system would be filled to overflowing …I've actually even heard that in the courtroom directed at somebody in a black robe.

     Later, Feess declared that “this is a case where that concept [“workplace violence”], a legitimate concept, is being stretched for the purpose of taking a vigorous critic of the administration and the board of trustees and trying to keep them quiet. That is how this case hits me.”

* * *

Glenn makes nice with the enemy: the U of Phoenix

     Roquemore was the topic of much discussion during yesterday’s senate meeting. One of the last items was: “Discussion of the use of the ‘vote of [no] confidence’ for the president of IVC.”
     As reported previously, Roquemore has recently monumentally dropped the ball, failing to respond adequately to a series of incidents concerning campus safety (see Roquemore: a failure to lead).
     Before that, he stunned the Senate (i.e., the IVC faculty) by overstepping his authority in his actions last summer to protect one of his pet programs, Photonics. As we reported back in August (IVC President Glenn Roquemore seriously oversteps his authority),

     Rumors have been swirling that Roquemore recently overstepped his authority in promoting the curriculum of one of his curious hobby horses, the "Laser" or Photonics program.
     I have made inquiries. Here’s what I’ve learned—from very reliable sources.
     The curriculum specialist is the (non-faculty) employee at IVC who assists the Office of Instruction and faculty in creating and approving curriculum. Supervised by the VPI, he works closely with the (faculty) Curriculum Chair, managing curriculum at the College. (The specialist has permissions in the curriculum system [CurricuNet] at a high level, able to move programs and degrees through the system.)
     The Laser Technology (Photonics) program at IVC, a program in which President Roquemore seems to take a keen interest, recently lost its only full-time faculty member, Desiré Whitmore; unable to make load due to low enrollment, Whitmore took a job elsewhere. The program has few students, and, in truth, there are few or no laser tech jobs in California. Meanwhile, California Ed Code now requires Career Technical Education programs, such as Photonics, to demonstrate, with Labor Market Data, that they are educating students for an actual job. (Such data should be presented to the board.)
     I should mention that the current Curriculum Chair, who was appointed in Spring, is new and untenured. The Academic Senate is presently working with him to fix a very confused and troubled curriculum process.
     Over summer 2018, Roquemore emailed the Academic Senate president, asking about the curriculum status of the Laser Technology Associates degree. The Senate Prez responded, saying that she would check. Summer was a busy time for curriculum because of AB 705 and other pressing curriculum matters. The curriculum chair was alerted to the President’s concern.

     Later this summer, the college president asked the curriculum specialist for an update on the Laser Technology curriculum. The specialist informed him that the curriculum was then at the board level and would not be moved forward—not until a process was developed in collaboration with Saddleback College for how Labor Market data should be presented to the Board.
     Roquemore said he would look into the process and get back to the specialist. A few weeks later, Roquemore informed the specialist that he had spoken to Saddleback and that the requirement to show Labor Market data was waived for this program; hence, he said, the specialist should move the Associate degree forward.
     Is Glenn once again helping one of his worthless pals?
     The specialist believed he should comply with Roquemore's direction and did so. Education Code gives academic senates (i.e., faculty) primary responsibility for making recommendations regarding curriculum. The Curriculum Chair was not part of this action and was not consulted. Beyond the summer email, neither was the Academic Senate President.
     In our system, no administrator may touch curriculum; it is the faculty’s purview. Roquemore has clearly overstepped his authority. This, at any rate, is the view of many faculty and others at the college.
     The Saddleback Senate has been alerted to the situation. They too are alarmed. It is my understanding that IVC's Academic Senate President is now pursuing an appointment with the Chancellor to discuss the matter.
     Some members of the IVC Academic Senate are discussing the possibiity of at long last pursuing a vote of no confidence in Roquemore.
     Stay tuned.

     Well, the senate has been inching up to a vote of confidence (or “no confidence”) ever since. (A senate vote might actually occur in the Spring.)

     Feeling the heat, Roquemore yesterday offered a (preemptive?) apology in a letter to the Senate:

     This letter clarifies my position regarding the unfortunate matter regarding Photonics. Please share it with the entire Academic Senate.
     I thought I was doing good by helping a faculty member that carves time away from family and his fulltime job, commuting many hours each way to spend a few hours teaching at IVC. However, in doing so I made a mistake. Although, I continue to stand on my words that I did not direct the Photonic curriculum to be processed through to the Board, I now realize that there is another factor that I have not considered. When attempting to assist the faculty member, I should have waited for the VPI to return from an accreditation visit or consult with the academic senate president or curriculum chair. At minimum this would have avoided the confusion and misunderstanding that existed between me and the curriculum specialist. I know how this happened, but I do not want to offer an excuse. Instead, I apologize and promise that such a mistake will never occur again. The curriculum process is the full and undeniable purview of the faculty. I should not have put myself in a position where my understanding of this fact is questioned by the faculty. A breach in trust has occurred and I hope that this error can be forgiven. I hope that healing can occur and, once again, we can join arms in the collegial and transparent work of the college.
     Please have a warm and peaceful Thanksgiving.

     So Roquemore continues to insist that that he “did not direct the Photonic curriculum to be processed through to the Board.” Others testify to the contrary.
     Who are you gonna believe?
     The letter was not well received.
     Again: stay tuned.

Come down off your throne and leave your body alone.
Somebody must change.
You are the reason I've been waiting so long.
Somebody holds the key.

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six-foot-four and full of muscles
I said, "do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich

Oh, ma-mama, mo-ma, mo-my mother
I would love to love you, lover
City is restless, it's ready to pounce
Oh, here in your bedroom, ounce for ounce

lust corrodes my body 
i've lost count of my lovers 
but i can count my money 
for ever and forever 

Yesterday at Cal State Northridge

from this morning's  LA Times:

Graffiti including swastikas, N-word and threats scrawled in bathroom at Cal State Northridge

Anti-Semitic and racist messages and threats scrawled in black marker in a building at Cal State Northridge on Wednesday prompted campus police to boost patrols.

The graffiti was reported about 4:45 p.m. inside a men’s restroom on the third floor of Sierra Hall. The messages and symbols were written in four or five locations in the bathroom, said Cal State Northridge Police Capt. Alfredo Fernandez.

People on campus posted photos of the messages on Twitter late Wednesday.

“Mass shooting in Sierra Hall 12/12/18,” one read, above a swastika. Another included the N-word.

Fernandez said authorities had not identified a suspect. “We’re just going to investigate it to try to determine what kind of threat we have, if it’s credible,” he said.

In a statement on Twitter, the university condemned the “hateful language and symbols” and said it was working to remove the graffiti. Shortly before 11 p.m., Fernandez said the graffiti had been cleaned up.

“CSUN is aware of the hateful and offensive graffiti in Sierra Hall. CSUN Police are investigating this use of hateful language and symbols and threat against our community,” the university said. “CSUN condemns this in the strongest possible terms.”

From CSUN's student newspaper, The Sundial:

CSUN police investigate mass shooting threat

CSUN police have begun investigating reports of a mass shooting threat being made against CSUN on Wednesday.

CSUN Chief of Police Anne Glavin stated in a press release that they are aware of the message, “Shooting in Sierra Hall 12/12/18,” posted on a wall in Sierra Hall and the similar hate language made last week in the same building.

Why is this stuff always in the men's restroom? Rebel Girl asks. She thinks she knows the answer.

A surge of Anti-Semitism

A Surge of Anti-Semitism
(Inside Higher Ed)
     Since the deadly shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October, campuses have seen a rise in displays targeting Jews.
     By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, December 5, 2018

• The spray-painted graffiti on the office walls of Elizabeth Midlarsky, the Columbia clinical psychologist and Holocaust scholar. The New York Police Department is investigating the vandalism. As a researcher of the Holocaust, Midlarsky has been targeted before. More than a decade ago, she discovered anti-Semitic fliers had been slipped into her mailbox and a swastika was painted on her office door.
• A swastika was painted over a mural honoring the victims of the synagogue shooting at Duke University. Duke officials were quick to denounce the memorial being sabotaged, with the Duke president writing to campus that it was a “craven and cowardly act.”
• Three swastikas were discovered at Cornell University. Two were reported in residence halls, and the other was drawn in snow on campus. Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, put out a statement to “express his revulsion” at the symbols.
• A Jewish fraternity at Pennsylvania State University, Zeta Beta Tau, had its menorah vandalized and then stolen. The menorah was eventually recovered, but according to Penn State president Eric Barron, the menorah (and the Jewish community) had "lasting damage."
• A University of Minnesota residence hall was vandalized with unspecified anti-Semitic messages. An email sent to the campus stated that the messages referenced Nazis and white supremacy, and that the university is unclear on who is responsible.
• A student at Goucher College, in Maryland, was arrested for racist and anti-Semitic graffiti found in a residence hall. Fynn Ajani Arthur, 21, had allegedly painted a backward swastika in a dorm and targeted Latinx and black students. Arthur, who is black, later drew more swastikas around the building and wrote the last names of four black students, including himself.
• Fliers blaming Jews for the sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh were found on the University of California, Berkeley, and Davis campuses, and at Vassar College and Marist College. They depict caricatures of Jewish members of the U.S. Senate, including Senator Dianne Feinstein, surrounding Kavanaugh. The signs proclaim “every time some anti-white, anti-American, anti-freedom event takes place, you look at it, and it’s Jews behind it.”....

Well, Yeah...
(Inside Higher Ed)
     The new study on costs of various departments.
     By Matt Reed - December 5, 2018

…“Hard” vocational programs are more expensive to run than “soft” academic ones. The least expensive classes to run are the ones that can run well with thirty students per section, and without any specialized equipment. That tends to describe the Intro to Psychs of the world. Hands-on classes in vocational areas require more equipment, more people to tend the equipment, and more instructors per student. In practice, we engage in cross-subsidy, with the profits generated by, say, History offsetting some of the losses generated by, say, Nursing. This matters because many outsiders assume that if we could just drop the “ivory tower” stuff and focus entirely on job readiness, the budget would balance. In fact, we’d go bankrupt. If you want to remake community colleges as entirely vocational, be prepared to pony up more money. A lot more….

Last week in O.C. neo-Nazi activity

While the little campus in the orange groves and our big sister campus to the south haven't seen a re-occurrence of  anti-Semitic activity, the same can't be said for the rest of the county.

Check out this mind-boggling story: Huntington Beach white dove release salesman busted for at-home arsenal and Nazi memorabilia.  And yes, he is the guy that provided the last year's now notorious HB Trump rally with their white doves.  (Some of the key organizers were picked up by the FBI a few weeks ago.)  I mean, who ya gonna call? OC Doves. WHITE doves. There's a joke somewhere in there but Rebel Girl isn't going to make it.

Check out the video above, found on OC Doves promotional You Tube station, complete with ominous music and drone footage of the rally and the arrests. Dramatic slo-mo dove release (complete with white males pumping their arms up plus a cardboard cut-out of Trump presiding) near the 6 minute mark.

from the L.A. Times:
It began as a dispute over funeral doves. It ended with Nazi memorabilia,guns and an arrest

Detectives already knew Todd had 12 firearms registered in his name when they stepped inside the house with a search warrant and a gun restraining order — which allows law enforcement to seek the temporary removal of firearms from someone they believe poses a danger to themselves or others — about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

“Lo and behold, when we went in there, he had a lot more than that,” Cota said. “There’s no doubt he’s a gun guy. The question is what kind of gun guy.”

Some of the weapons had high-tech scopes that retail for several thousand dollars each, Cota said.

Inside Todd’s bedroom — which he maintains separately from his wife’s bedroom in the house, authorities said — detectives found a red cloth flag with a swastika emblazoned on it, a Confederate flag and a picture of Adolf Hitler.

 Gabriel San Roman writing in the OC Weekly:

POLICE FIND NAZI REGALIA, STOCKPILE OF ASSAULT RIFLES AFTER ARRESTING HB MAN

Laguna Beach police seized an arsenal of more than 50 firearms and found Nazi memorabilia following the arrest of Mitchell Todd yesterday in–where else?–Huntington Beach. Authorities obtained a search warrant after investigating the 51-year-old man this month for allegedly threatening a client of his dove release business (yes, you read that right) during a payment dispute.

“You could tell the voicemails and text messages became more and more threatening and then the tip of the iceberg was hearing the releasing of a handgun slide,” Sgt. Jim Cota told Fox11 News in an exclusive last night. “At that point we knew we were dealing with somebody whose got the potential of extreme violence.”

What Laguna Beach police describe as a "cache" of unregistered arms. 

And that's all for now. The end of the semester is about to come to its end. Rebel Girl has been dealing with one thing and another since about three weeks into the semester. As she is fond of saying, YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.  One day she will tell you all about it. If you don't want to wait for that day, just drop by her office.

Stay safe out there.  And find another outfit to hire for your white dove release spectacle.

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Yesterday out of nowhere, a woman claiming to be Q Lazzarus tweeted back at me saying she was indeed alive. I thought it was a joke, so I simply responded “you’re my new favorite account” and thought nothing more of it. This morning, that account tweeted “Any questions?” to which I responded “a whole email’s worth actually.” I then got a direct message stating the following:

“Hi, sorry to bother you. I just wanted people to know I am still alive, I have no interest in singing anymore. I am a bus driver in Staten Island (I have been for YEARS), I see hundreds of passengers everyday so I am hardly hiding (or dead!), I have given Thomas Gorton (Dazed) my fone number and address just to confirm I am ‘real’, sorry if this is a boring end to the story, I am going to come off twitter soon as I find it odd, please take note of this message incase anyone else is interested. THANK YOU”

Now, the bus driver part made sense to me because she was a cab driver when she was discovered–a logical step in the next direction, right? I still wasn’t entirely convinced, but the woman posted a selfie before deleting the account, of which I have a screen shot and it is indeed a woman resembling the rather mysterious looking (and notably rare) promo shots of Q from the late 80s. I decided to google “Diane Luckey” as that was the name the woman used as her Twitter display name, and AS IT FUCKING TURNS OUT there is a woman named Diane Luckey who filed a lawsuit against a Staten Island bus company in 2015 for not having a single woman driver....

Remembering Carol Bander: "une dame extraordinaire"

When Saddleback professor Carol Bander retired in 2016 along with two other colleagues, Trustee James Wright quipped from the dais that their combined years of teaching came to a grand total of 101. It’s worth noting that Carol contributed 39 of those 101 years, starting at Saddleback in 1977, when the college was just 9 years old. During those decades, as a professor of ESl and German and colleague extraordinaire, she made a difference in the classroom, on the campus and in the larger community.

Rebel Girl first got to know Carol during the Steve Frogue recall campaigns. Frogue, a champion of conspiracy theories and a supporter of Holocaust deniers, was ensconced on the SOCCCD Board of Trustees in the 90s until a determined coalition of faculty, staff, students and community members unmasked him. Carol and her husband Myron, UCI professor of Physics, were stalwart members of those campaigns, recognizing that what happens in the classroom and in the community is necessarily connected. Intersectionality, as the kids call it today.

Carol Bander died on November 10, at the age of 73.

Dan Rivas, a longtime colleague of Carol’s offered this eulogy at her service which captures so well her spirit and her contributions.

When my partner, Arturo, and I went to see Carol at the hospital in La Jolla, she looked pale and tired. She passed away a few hours later. She had difficulty speaking and her voice was weak. Around 11:30 AM we hugged and kissed and said goodbye. But then, suddenly, she perked up and in a very clear voice she asked us, “Where are you going for lunch?” THAT was Carol. She then proceeded to rattle off the name of several restaurants that we would enjoy.

Carol and I go back a long time. It was 1985, and I had just landed at Saddleback College as Dean of Liberal Arts. Carol was on the Liberal Arts faculty teaching German and English as a Second Language. It didn’t take me long to appreciate what a very special person Carol was, passionately devoted to her students and to the college. “Carol Bander inspired me in so many ways.” “Saddleback’s gem,” “An awesome teacher.” Those are not my words, but those of her former students writing about her. Carol was outgoing, upbeat, enthusiastic about her teaching, always trying new approaches, always looking for ways to make her classes a unique learning experience. Frequently, she would take students to L.A. to concerts, plays, and restaurants. Every semester she would invite her students to her home for pot-lucks and barbeques or, she would simply confiscate the culinary program’s test kitchen at the college to conduct a cooking class, in German, for her students. The result? That sinful Linzer torte, whose fragrant aromas would grace the building’s hallways and offices, making everyone long for at least a crumb of the leftovers.

For Carol, teaching was not just communicating knowledge. It was an adventure; the adventure of engaging her students in a journey of discovery and self-affirmation. Yes, the subjects were certainly there, German or ESL, but it was the medium that gave life to learning. And that medium was Carol, her bubbly personality, her creativity in the classroom, her genuine concern for her students, not only as learners, but also as human beings. She was the champion and spokesperson of ESL students, who frequently came from disadvantaged economic backgrounds are were often undocumented. Her students adored her, showered her with gifts, and flocked to her classes. But as gentle and patient as she was, Carol was also fiercely protective of her programs and her students. She was never unpleasant; she was simply persistently persuasive. She could come up with the most unimaginable reasons for maintaining a low enrolled class that was in danger of being cancelled and, in the end, she prevailed because it was impossible to argue with that level of passion and devotion to students. You see, it was all about them, never about her. It was truly exemplary.

But Carol was not only engaging as an instructor. Saddleback College was much more than a workplace for her. She was highly respected for her work with the Academic Senate, the Faculty Association, and numerous committees and faculty development projects that required much of her time during her long career. Outside the college she was well known for her positions of responsibility in professional organizations at the national, state and local levels. Everyone knew Carol and everyone also knew how valuable she was as a colleague and mentor.

As we gather here this afternoon to say good bye to Carol, I refuse to close this chapter in our lives. The Carol we deeply loved and admired is very much with us right now, at this moment, in our hearts, in our memories, in the lessons of her admirable life. Carol lives, and she lives perhaps more than ever. She lives in the memories of her friends and colleagues, in the thousands of students she taught. She lives in the stories she told us; in the narratives of her unbelievable travel adventures. As we evoke her life, her genuine kindness and generosity, and her professional accomplishments, I am reminded of that wonderful Mexican conviction that informs the celebration of the Day of the Dead and that was so wonderfully exemplified in the film “Coco.” In that tradition, those who have gone before us will always return and be with us as a loving presence but only as long as we remember them and narrate their stories. I, for one, will never be able to walk again into Moulin Bistro and not think of Carol, with whom Arturo and I, and many others, shared not only wonderful food, wine, and conversation on many occasions, but also shared the gift of each other’s presence. That is the Carol I will remember, and I know you will too. We are indeed fortunate for having been part of her life, and just as fortunate for treasuring the wonderful memories we have of her.

IVC ESL professor Colleen Hildebrand who knew Carol from the 80s onward recalls this side of her friend and mentor:

She and her husband Myron filled their lovely home with art and mementos of their visits to more than 100 countries. During one of their trips to Paris, Carol enrolled in the Cordon Bleu and passed (although she was forever bothered by not passing her puff pastry test the first time)! She was a gourmet chef and a true foodie, so anyone lucky enough to be invited to one of her dinner parties will never forget the experience. She knew which restaurants to visit, which bakery to explore no matter where she traveled, so I never had to worry about where I’d be eating when I was with her; she had already done the restaurant and bakery research beforehand. I remember one conversation she and I had about a Rhine riverboat trip I was planning. The land tours included cities in Germany and France. When she heard I was going, she said, “Oh, you must go to Delia’s when you are there!” I thought she meant a city in France. When I returned home, I apologized to her for not going there, and she responded, “Colleen, I wasn’t talking about a French town, I was talking about a bakery in Munich!” Of course Carol would want me to find the best eateries! Ah the world lost a very bright light in the early morning on November 10th when my sweet friend and colleague left us here. As her niece wrote in her FB tribute, Carol did indeed “charm the world” with her intellect & knowledge (she had a PhD and was fluent in several languages), curiosity, fun-loving, adventurous and giving esprit & joie de vivre. Carol was a gift to all of us, une dame extraordinaire who lived life to the fullest and taught us to live ours that way too. I hope is that she’s up in heaven with her beloved Myron and her other loved ones. I envision her with her family and friends at a great dinner party in a beautiful heavenly sky, dining on a feast of scallops, pétrale sole, lobster and duck, with a buttery linzertorte (a dessert she taught all her German students to make), and lifting a glass of fine wine, toasting to a life well-lived.

The Saddleback College ESL website notes that "[a]s her parents were refugees and she grew up bilingually, she brings an extra layer of understanding to her students' situation. She graduated with a B.A. in German from Queens College, City University of New York (Phi Beta Kappa) and with an M.A. and Ph.D. in German from the University of Southern California. She also received her ESL Certificate and secondary credential from the University of California at Irvine."

Longtime colleague and friend Saddleback professor Kathy Smith shared her eulogy:

This is hard.  When Carol asked me to speak today, I had no idea how hard it would be to honor the totality of a woman we all loved so much.  There is no way that mere words can do her justice. Like some of the delicious dishes she enjoyed cooking, she was rich and complex and layered. To quote Susan Stern,“ she was a brilliant teacher, a dedicated professional, an adventurous world traveler, an amazing and creative cook and a lover of all the arts. She kept up with and loved to discuss politics and world events.  She loved to host gatherings and bring people together.  She had a passion for life that drew people to her and enriched their lives.” Where to begin to express the profound effect she had on all of our lives? I found myself writing, then crossing out and starting over again. Draft after draft of what I could say that would truly honor dear Carol. I decided to just talk about my own memories of her…but this is just a small representative piece of who she was to all of us.  I first met Carol in 1978 when Saddleback College was still in its infancy and Carol and Maddy were beginning to develop the ESL program. I met her in a temporary building where she interviewed me for a position as an ESL teacher.  After I went home, I realized that she had her PhD and I had called her Carol or Mrs. Bander! I was mortified that I had not called her Dr. Bander.  I even called and apologized.  I still got the job, but as you all well know, it was never about Carol, although she was brilliant and highly educated and had her PhD, she never made herself the issue or flaunted her accomplishments. With that job began a 40-year friendship that has been the treasure of my life.  Working at Saddleback College was the perfect job for me, but more than that…working alongside Carol and having her friendship was such a privilege and a joy. She gave generously of her help and encouragement to everyone.   When a full time job became available, she encouraged me to apply, although I was quite hesitant because I had young children at home.  She convinced me that I could manage it. I got that job and thus began a new phase of our friendship.  We were Dept. Chairs together, taught together, attended seminars, gave presentations, and attended conferences of professional organizations together.  I am forever grateful that she had such faith in me and pushed me beyond my comfort zone, as she did for many others. I am basically a rather shy person, but her support and enthusiasm inspired me to stretch myself into new territories.  She believed in me probably more than I believed in myself. Her generosity and desire to help others extended to so many of us. With her professionalism and giving spirit, everything we worked on together was with an easy agreement and joy. There were never any harsh words. The complicated job of scheduling teachers and classes didn’t seem like work.  We moved classes and schedules around like puzzle pieces all the while munching on something delicious at her favorite bakery.
 She cajoled and convinced Colleen Hildebrand and me to join her in submitting a presentation to the professional organization TESOL (Teachers of English to speakers of other languages) for their annual conference. When our proposal was accepted, it entailed hours and hours of research and writing and meetings, but those meetings were laughter filled days of creativity.  She was meticulous in all she did and just as we would finish the handout for our presentation, she would come up with 5 or 6 more newspaper articles or pieces of research that should be included, so that our presentation handout grew to as much as 60 pages.  This was just the beginning of many more such presentations and trips together. Carol’s students adored her creativity, honesty and care for them.  She didn’t mind making herself the brunt of a funny story or laughing at herself… as when she left a raw duck in the trunk of the car for weeks, or when she fell into the water off the Balboa Ferry. She was also a champion of the noncredit ESL students who were often the most in need of English and encouragement. I would like also to speak for the thousands of students whose lives she touched and enhanced through her many years of teaching and her tireless devotion and love for those students.
  I will miss sitting at her kitchen table piled high with papers and magazines, drinking coffee and eating cookies or coffee cake or something wonderful she pulled out of her refrigerator that was stacked to the brim with deliciousness. She hosted so many lovely large and small parties with interesting guests and conversations. To paraphrase what Dan Rivas said in his retirement salute to her, “ If you were invited to Carol’s house for dinner, you dropped everything you were doing to come.”  
On one such occasion, when my husband and I arrived for dinner, the top to the blender had flown off while she was making lobster bisque.  The result was lobster all over the ceiling and in her hair and eyelashes, but with her typical good humor, she shrugged it off, wiped it off and carried on with great aplomb.
 We all know that Carol and Myron were intrepid travelers. They traveled to over 100 countries and survived everything from car trouble in the desolate wilds of the Baja peninsula to a horseback ride in a hurricane in Costa Rica. Carol had an undaunted desire to travel. On one occasion she, Colleen and I were scheduled to fly to Puebla, Mexico on Oct. 11, 2001… exactly one month after 9/11.  We were nervous about flying and when we got to the airport very early on a foggy morning, it was surrounded by The National Guard.  There were very few people venturing to travel. It was a bit frightening, but Carol was ready to go anyway…and we did.
 Even in these last few years, when her health had deteriorated and it could be a tiring exercise to haul her oxygen around and walking wasn’t so easy, she was still unstoppable and courageous.  Recently, we took a trip to Cambria.  She came… oxygen tank and all, determined not to let those things hold her back. As usual, her spirit was undiminished and she had found the best restaurants, hotel and wineries.
 I went with her to the recent 50th anniversary celebration at Saddleback College.  It was nice to see old friends and say hello, but when those friends and colleagues saw Carol… their faces lit up with joy and genuine delight to see her.  That was the kind of love she instilled in others. In the end, I think Carol’s most defining characteristic was love.  She put her heart into everything she did, from teaching to traveling to cooking. But her greatest love was… for all of us: her family, friends, colleagues, and students.  Her heart was so large and inclusive that her circle was huge.  She brought people together and I never saw her leave anyone out.  Besides missing her terribly, and wanting to pick up the phone and call her, we are left with a love for her… that we cannot give her. I believe the best way to honor someone you loved is to try to emulate their best qualities.  She taught us how to live graciously with unconditional love, generosity, courage and joy.
 Today, we are all one family in our grief for the loss of someone so adored, whose arms and home and heart were always open to us all.  With Carol, not just the butter was rich, life was rich and full and vibrant.  You can’t have known Carol and not been changed.  Carol Bander, you will not be forgotten, you will live in the hearts of every life you touched. 

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Friends at the the well-attended funeral service tell Rebel Girl that they believe only a single administrator from Saddleback College and the district put in an appearance. Guess which one?

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