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Leader of L.A.'s community colleges announces early retirement
East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, one of nine campuses in the Los Angeles Community College District.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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Topline:
After 10 years with the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez has announced he will retire in November.
Why it matters: LACCD, one the largest districts in the country, serves students at nine colleges in Greater L.A. The district’s leaders manage millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.
Why now: In an email to his cabinet, Rodriguez said he is stepping down to help his siblings with their 98-year-old father’s “prevailing health challenges.” However, Angela Echeverri, president of the district-wide faculty senate, noted that the chancellor is stepping down following a vote of "no confidence" against him.
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Friction with the faculty: The senate voted against both Rodriguez and the Board of Trustees in May 2024. The resolution passed 29-0, with one in abstention.
In a statement, Echeverri said: “For months, the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Rodriguez have circumvented calls for transparency, sidestepped meaningful reforms, and failed to adequately address concerns about sexual harassment, retaliation, and the use of public funds, particularly in the case of large public contracts.”
The district has also been enmeshed in sexual harassment lawsuits.
“I wish [Rodriquez] well, and I wish his father the best,” Echeverri told LAist. “But we had significant concerns.”
What's next: The chancellor and the board will meet on Wednesday, where they will discuss key questions around Rodriguez’s retirement, including who will replace him.
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