Note: The Orange Juice blog received this column from an anonymous source.
As the election campaign for Trustee draws to a close at Coast Community College District, questions have emerged about the departure of David Grant as President of Orange Coast College. Grant is running as a “Retired College President” on his candidate ballot, but what really happened when his tenure as president drew to a close in late 1995? His “retirement” from his position was far from normal as numerous sources and public records indicate.
What is known for sure is that Grant left his post in the middle of the school year which is extremely abnormal in itself, highly unusual, and very disruptive to a college campus in terms of the timing—-the Board of Trustees was forced to hire an Interim President that December. Further, public records indicate that Grant’s remaining vacation balance was paid out in a lump sum payment…Usually, when administrators retire, they use up their vacation in most cases before their final departure from employment.
It is known from a highly reliable source that Mr. Grant impulsively resigned, and then tried to rescind his resignation, but the Board of Trustees would not agree to that. With this information, it is fair to conclude that Mr. Grant’s retirement as president was forced, and not planned. Whatever the other specifics are of Mr. Grant’s departure, it’s clear that at the very young age of 57, Mr. Grant’s retirement from the presidency was not planned, was done in an abrupt way, and raises serious questions about his fitness for trusteeship. Knowledge of Mr. Grant’s abrupt departure from Orange Coast College is widely known to people who worked at Orange Coast College and the Coast District at that time.
Why did Mr. Grant leave his post so suddenly? And given these abrupt and questionable circumstances, is this really someone well suited for community college trusteeship? Trustees need balance, objectivity, and poise – given the fact that Mr. Grant left his job so abruptly, is he really fit to serve on the board at Coast? If elected, will he angry and hostile to his fellow Trustees and staff?
Jim Carnett, a former Orange Coast College employee who is loyal to Mr. Grant, wrote recently in a local publication that things were “good” at the end of 1995 at Orange Coast College. We don’t agree with Mr. Carnett: How good could things be for a college campus when its leader abruptly “retires” in the midst of a school year and his board has to appoint an Interim President? Not very good at all, from a leadership point of view….
The Orange Juice Blog and its publisher, Art Pedroza, have endorsed Mr. Grant’s opponent, Dr. Lynne Riddle, given her extensive experience as a federal judge, educator, and high level of integrity. Given the very uncertain nature and possibly questionable circumstances about the end of Mr. Grant’s tenure, voters must all the more seriously consider the outstanding qualities of Dr. Lynne Riddle as they consider their next Trustee in Area 5 of the Coast Community College District.
RIDDLE ME THAT!
Judge Lynne Riddle, who also earned a Doctorate in Education is superbly qualified and will make a great OCC Board Trustee. Additionally, given that she is retired she has the time to serve for the benefit of OCC.
I know that together with Dr. Lorraine Prinsky and Jim Moreno (OCC Board Trustees) they will make a phenomenal team, again for the benefit of our students and OCC.
Francisco J. Barragan
My opinions only and not those of any group
All of the above and more.
Dr. Lynne Riddle and Jim Moreno are the only qualified candidates.
Helen
Would it be asking too much for your source to just ask Grant why he retired?
David,
Why would anyone expect Grant to answer that honestly? He is part of a machine that is desperately trying to hang on to power at the district. Electing him would be a huge mistake!
Maybe true but why not ask? Then your source could be asked if his answer was accurate and, if not, why not?
The source seems to imply wrong doing but gives no hints of what it would be. If there’s wrong doing, it might decide the election.
Hints of McCarthism?
Niccolò Machiavelli – alive and well in today’s electoral process
It seems the start of election ‘season’ is also the start of “open season” on any individual’s reputation who attempts to serve their community/society. This is one of the most unfortunate parts of serving the people and the personal attacks and slanders have seemed to grow more vicious in the last couple of decades. However, I am appalled by the vague innuendos of ‘peakstone’, and The Orange Juice blog.
According to the LA Times, David Grant announced his plan to retire in December of 1995 – six months earlier in May of 1995! This can be easily found by doing a Google Search on “David Grant retires from OCC” and reading the Times article. (To make it easier for you to find the LA Times article: http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-10/local/me-64588_1_occ-president). It is unfortunate that your research could only turn up was his decision to take his vacation pay in one lump sum – which is normal with most executives. Yet the only place I could find this information was in your article – at least in the first five pages of the Goggle search I did.
I have not decided whom I will support for the Area 5 seat on November 2nd. Three candidates have been qualified by the Registrar of Voters. I know two of the candidates, both are excellent people and would make a positive impact on the CCCD Board. It is truly unfortunate that we cannot look at the positive offerings of the candidates without someone inventing spurious comments and outright fabrications.
Well regardless of how Mr. Grant left his post, he’s sure proving to be a real winner as the newest Coast Community College District trustee.
This is clearly an ethical violation that the Board of Trustee should address.
Note to Dave Grant: “How does this benefit students?”
http://www.hbindependent.com/news/tn-dpt-0412-grant-20110411,0,2369465.story
April 11, 2011 | 3:16 p.m.
tn-dpt-0412-grant-20110411
Coast Community College District Trustee David Grant was fined $200 for not disclosing money spent by the deadline during the November elections.
The Committee to Elect David Grant Trustee 2010, of which he was the treasurer, failed to disclose monies spent in a timely manner in a pre-election statement for the period ending Oct. 16, 2010, the Fair Political Practices Commission, or FPPC, decided Monday.
Grant could not be immediately reached for comment.
Candidates are required to keep detailed lists of campaign contributions received and monies spent that must be submitted periodically throughout the election period.
A complaint was made to the FPPC that Grant had run several color ads in local newspapers, including the Daily Pilot, and sent out glossy mailers without reporting the costs on his pre-election statement for that period, according to the official complaint.
The Newport Beach resident served as Orange Coast College president from 1989 to 1995 and was elected to the Coast Community College District board in November with 44 % of the votes.
— Britney Barnes