By Camila A. Gonzalez
A trio of Southwestern College governing board members voted to censure trustee Corina Soto for what they described as “disruptive” behavior at meetings, disclosing confidential information and Brown Act violations.
Soto rejection the claims and accused college president Dr. Mark Sanchez and board president Roberto Alcantar of “bullying” and “silencing my voice and quashing dissent.”
Alcantar, along with trustees Robert Moreno and Don Dumas, cast votes to censure Soto. A Resolution of Censure criticized the former professor and faculty union president for engaging in disrespectful and divisive behavior.
In one public exchange at a board meeting Soto criticized a plan by Sanchez to hire more administrators as “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” After receiving texts from the audience, Alcantar told Soto her remarks were inappropriate. Soto said she is an Indigenous person and was allowed to use the expression, which she said was a harmless analogy to describe a top-heavy management structure.
Soto said the censure was unwarranted and heavy-handed retaliation for her outspoken leadership style. Consequences of the censure prohibit Soto from district-funded travel and forbids her from representing the college at outside events. Sanctions will be enforced until June 30, 2024, unless Soto completes effective governance training from a board approved program by Oct. 31.
Soto said the censure was sexist and mean spirited.
“What led to the censure is the desire of Roberto Alcantar and Mark Sanchez to silence my voice,” she said. “They want to control me and send a message to me to not be so outspoken. They wanted to damage my credibility in the community.”
Alcantar did not respond to emails requesting comment. Sanchez declined to comment on specifics, but said he was not involved in the censure. He called the vote “a board-driven process.”
“Communication is key,” he said. “There is obviously an opportunity where there can be increased communication. I am not sure what happened with the board. I am not always there in their conversation. So whatever communication that did occur that led to the censure was an area of opportunity for the board to address as we move forward.”
Soto called Sanchez remarks ironic because shortly after her election Alcantar and Sanchez met with her to “share with me that members of the campus community think I should be held to a 3-minute time limit when I speak at governing board meetings.” She said when she raised the issue at a California Community College League conference in Sacramento the workshop presenters laughed out loud at the idea of a time limit. Governing board members have no time limits Soto recalled the CCCL panelists telling her.
Moreno said he did not agree with Soto’s charge that Alcantar excluded her from participating in decision making. He said he felt the censure was working because Soto has modified her behavior following the vote.
