Community college chancellor finalists make their public case

Finalists in the Ventura County Community College District's search to replace retiring Chancellor Greg Gillespie took the final few steps towards the finish line Tuesday, answering questions in a public forum before final interviews in a closed district board meeting.

Lee Lambert, a candidate who is chancellor of Pima Community College District in Tucson, said that district was in shambles when he arrived there in 2013. His predecessor, Roy Flores, had just resigned amid accusations of sexual harassment by eight women, putting the school's accreditation in jeopardy.

"Pima was troubled," he said.

In an interview, Lambert touted his Pima background, saying it equipped him to handle "challenges everywhere" in the Ventura County district.

Under Lambert, Pima's probation was lifted in 2017, though the Higher Learning Commission, which oversees Pima's accreditation, made a "focused visit" to the district again in March. According to the Arizona Daily Star, the visit pertained to potentially "unlawful contracting practices" and the decision-making autonomy of the school board.

Lambert said the visit was "all about the school board," and was part of the reason he was considering opportunities outside Pima.

He also cited the Southern California weather and said he was "drawn" to districts with "crisis and opportunity."

Lambert was previously a candidate for top positions with San Diego Community College School District and Evergreen State College in Washington. He said he withdrew from consideration for both positions.

MacLennan, a former president of North Idaho College, took a rosier view of the district as he followed Lambert during the forum, saying he was drawn to the longevity of the colleges and the quality of district leadership.

"I'm excited to bring all the things I've been collecting across the country to Ventura County and put them to work," MacLennan, a Southern California native, said.

MacLennan oversaw North Idaho for five years until last September when a months-long dispute led the district’s board to terminate his contract in a 3-2 decision that made national headlines.

MacLennan had mandated masks before the start of classes, a directive the board overturned on a 3-2 vote.

In an interview, MacLennan said his battle with the board began months earlier when he wrote a note to the board outlining his concerns with "unethical, inappropriate" behavior by a trustee.

"I was the only person who was in the way," he said.

MacLennan filed a wrongful termination suit that the district eventually settled.

Both candidates spoke of the district's need to attract students to the district's three colleges that all face declining enrollment, a problem that plagued community colleges across the state during the pandemic.

Lambert has taken fire for his handling of several staff issues at Pima.

In July 2016, a federal judge found that Lambert, a former civil rights lawyer, had violated the due process rights of chemistry professor David Katz by terminating him without giving him a hearing or opportunity to defend himself, according to court records.

Seven months later, a different federal judge ruled that Lambert deprived a former administrator – one of the eight women who accused Flores of sexual harassment – of an annual contract without due process, according to court documents.

"I don't think those are accurate depictions by those judges," Lambert said in an interview.

In the case of Katz, Lambert said he was "just trying to repair what had already occurred."

Lambert's LinkedIn page says he began at Pima in July 2013, three months before Katz was given an "investigatory leave of absence," according to Katz's initial complaint.

Cuyugan's release, he said, was one of several "hard financial decisions" he made to cut administrator positions across the district.

Lambert and MacLennan sat for final interviews in a closed board session Tuesday afternoon. A district spokesperson said there was no available information on the expected timing of a final decision. Gillespie is set to retire in June.

Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Community college chancellor finalists on the last leg