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Dymally Denies ‘Conspiracy’ to Dissolve College
By
Gary Walker
Bulletin Staff Writer
Angered
by inflammatory comments made by Compton Community College
Trustee Carl Robinson over a two-week period, Assemblyman Mervyn
Dymally
(D-Compton) responded this week to Robinson’s accusations of
the lawmaker being a part of a conspiracy to dissolve the beleaguered
institution’s viability.
“[Robinson] is the problem,” the assemblyman said forcefully
by telephone from his office in Sacramento. “His statements are outrageous
and full of lies,” Dymally spat.
In an interview with the Bulletin, Dymally dismissed the board member’s
lawsuit against the accreditation board as a “feel-good gesture” that
would not amount to anything in the end.
“[The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of
the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges] is a private entity. Whom
are they going to get to pay (for the lawsuit)?” Dymally asked. “The
college?”
The combative trustee from Carson suggested in an interview with
the Bulletin last week that he believes that the crisis surrounding the
college is not about the school’s certification status. Robinson
claims that State College Chancellor Mark Drummond and Dymally are after
the funds from a bond passed by the voters last year for the college.
“This isn’t about accreditation; this is about bond money,” Robinson
opined. “There is $100 million at stake here, and they want to get
their hands on that money for themselves.”
“They would have never done this to any other college,” the
board vice-president continued. “We are just as good as any other
college in the state... what they are doing is playing with the futures
of our
students,” Robinson accused.
Dymally also addressed a charge by Robinson last week that he had
a conflict in the current college controversy because of a contract that
he once had with the institution while he was working with a state commission
appointed by Drummond.
“There was no conflict there,” the veteran legislator said. “It
was a freelance contract that I had with the college, and everyone
knew about it and my work on the state committee.”
The assemblyman implied that Robinson has an axe to grind for several
reasons, including personal ones.
“He was a big supporter of the Major League Baseball Academy that
was being constructed on the college’s campus,” Dymally reported. “As
soon as he was denied a job by the project manager, he became outraged
with them.”
In addition, at a later date Robinson asked the assemblyman for a
job and was again turned down, says Dymally.
“Would he be so critical of me now if I had given him a job?” the
lawmaker inquired.
“A Serious Liability”
Robinson has run into his share of legal problems, on and off campus.
According to a source close to the case, the board vice president
wrecked a college issued car in Las Vegas in a questionable accident
a few years ago. In addition, last month the college settled a sexual
harassment suit which named Robinson as a defendant, for $147,000.
The college district proposed to pay the entire cost of the damages
if Robinson resigned his post from the board. If he did not agree
to accept the offer and resign, according to a copy of the settlement
proposal obtained by the Bulletin, the district has the authority
to settle the case and Robinson and the other party named in the
lawsuit, Howard Pratt, would be liable for the amount that the Statewide
Assn. Of Community Colleges does not pay.
“Thereafter, the district will file a civil complaint against
you, in your personal and individual capacity for 100% of the district’s
exposure, whatever it may be,” the letter reads.
“We believe that your actions in relation to the matter are
beyond the course and scope of your duties as an elected official,” the
college district’s legal team contends. “Your actions
are directly responsible for the existing litigation; unfortunately,
you have become a serious liability to the district,” they
concluded.
To date, all of the trustees have refused to step down. Three members
of the board, Lorraine Cervantes, Dr. Gerald Burgess and Ken Swift
are the subjects of a recall by a CCC teacher’s federation.
Julia Sylva, the board’s legal counsel and J. Michael DeClues,
Robinson’s attorney, did not return phone calls.
Robinson, in a letter to his fellow board members reiterated his
position on the calls for his resignation. He denies committing any
unlawful act, stating, “I am not guilty of any crime.”
“I am not going to step down from the board of trustees in
exchange for the college to pay the full settlement in the [sexual
harassment
case],” he wrote.
The board vice president appeared to feel that the offer was proffered
in unethical terms. “This seems like a bribe to me,” Robinson
wrote.
Last week, Robinson told the Bulletin that he planned on filing a
racial discrimination lawsuit against the accreditation board.
Compton City Atty. LeGrand Clegg II thinks that Robinson’s
lawsuit can be detrimental to the college in terms of convincing
the accreditation board to change its mind regarding the school’s
certification.
“The board has been quite clear about their position on this.
Any action outside of that would seem to me to be deleterious,” said
Clegg in an exasperated tone.
The city attorney, who was a Compton Community College trustee from
1981 until 1993, appeared greatly disturbed to hear of Robinson’s
action. “Given that (the ACCJC) has the authority to accreditate,
one should follow all of their strict guidelines, whatever they are,” he
continued. “Any deviation from that cannot result in anything
beneficial to the community.
“In light of what’s happened, I think everyone should
be very careful what they are doing,” Clegg implored. “We
stand to lose our college.”
“Let’s make peace, not war”
Late last week in the state capital, Dymally met with Dr. Burgess
and Swift in an effort to iron out some of the major problems that
have led to this unfortunate circumstance and to direct the focus
to what can be done to save the city’s beloved institution.
The assemblyman feels that the meeting with the two trustees went
well, and would like to extend an olive branch to all parties. He
hopes for a “transformation from war to peace” with the
board.
“You can’t fight a war with an entity over which you
have no legislative authority,” Dymally reasons, referring
to the board’s
battle with the ACCJC.
“We’ve all come to the end of the road, and it’s
time to stop the name calling and work toward a positive solution,” the
lawmaker continued. “Let’s make peace, not war,” he
added.
Robinson declined to attend the meeting. “I feel that (Dymally)is
planning to divide us, and I wanted no part of that,” he said
acidly.
He said that he will discuss what occurred at the meeting with his
board colleagues and possibly will reconsider his lawsuit.
Noting that Robinson and Cervantes have been the most adamant trustees
in publicly implying that there are conspiracies and ulterior motives
on the part of state officials, Dymally drew a comparison to a Japanese
soldier captured years after World War II had ended.
“Just like him, they don’t know when to stop fighting,” he
said in a bemused tone.
“They are a combination of arrogance and ignorance,” the
assemblyman added, “And that is a combination that I find hard
to work with.”
Swift, reached at home, declined comment on the meeting, and Burgess
was unavailable for comment as the Bulletin went to press.
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