Southwestern College administrator Arlie Ricasa was placed on leave pending an internal review currently being conducted by an independent investigator. Ricasa was charged with four felonies and two misdemeanors by the San Diego County District Attorney for accepting expensive gifts and large campaign contributions from construction firms doing business with the Sweetwater Union High School District, where she is an elected trustee.
SWC Superintendent Dr. Melinda Nish placed Ricasa on paid non-disciplinary administrative leave from her position as director of student development and health services following the indictment. Ricasa’s annual salary is $124,000.
Ricasa, Sweetwater trustee Pearl Quiñones, former trustee Greg Sandoval and former Sweetwater Superintendent Jesus Gandara were charged with multiple counts of bribery and other crimes. Also charged was Seville Construction vice president Henry Amigable. If convicted, they face four-seven years in prison. They were arraigned in Superior Court. No trial date has been set.
SWC’s new governing board majority has been cooperating with the DA since March, according to Board President Norma Herndandez. She said the board directed its law firm in April 2011 to hire an independent forensic auditor to review Prop R contracts and the Southwestern College Education Foundation. The board will share the complete report with the District Attorney and the public when it is complete, she said.
“Questions will be answered in the days and weeks ahead as more information becomes available and the board can make legally-sound decisions based on accurate evidence,” said Hernandez. “The board continues to cooperate and share information with the district attorney.”
Ricasa, 47, was elected to the Sweetwater board in 1998 and re-elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010. She began working at Southwestern in 1990 as a counselor and became a director in 2003. She ran unsuccessfully for the California Assembly in 2008. She is president of the MAAC Project board of directors, and was a popular and respected leader in the South Bay’s Filipino-American community.
District Attorney investigators prepared an affidavit of nearly 100 pages to obtain a warrant to search Ricasa’s Bonita home on Dec. 20. Also searched were the homes of Sandoval, Quiñones, Gandara, Amigable and former SWC administrators Nicholas Alioto and John Wilson. Computers, cell phones, files, campaign materials and other evidence was removed from the homes. DA officials also searched the Pasadena offices of Seville Construction.
The affidavit for Ricasa included pages of evidence of expense dinners, campaign contributions and other gifts that were not reported to the IRS or on the required California Statement of Economic Interests Form 700. Included on the list of alleged violations was a $1,741 dinner paid for by Amigable, a $3,600 contribution to her 2008 Assembly campaign by Seville, $10,000 in campaign contributions for her 2010 Sweetwater campaign by Seville and a $1,800 donation by Seville to pay for her daughter’s expenses to attend a National Student Leadership Council conference in Washington D.C.
Some of Ricasa’s requests for contributions were made during the Southwestern College work day and involved college e-mail and fax machines, a violation of state law, according to the District Attorney.
San Diego County Republican Party President Derrick Roach distributed documents to the SWC board during a special meeting Jan. 4 and charged Ricasa with campaigning and soliciting money from Sweetwater contractors during the SWC work day.
“I call the board to take action on these documents that you’ve just received,” said Roach. “As you can see, Ms. Ricasa, who is an elected official with the Sweetwater school district, has used college resources. She’s used fax machines, she’s used e-mail accounts to solicit bribes from contractors.”
Roach asked the board to continue its investigation for the sake of the community.
“I’m counting on you guys to do the right thing,” he said. “It concerns me. I have children that live here. They’re not quite to the college age, but they’re preparing to enroll here in the near future. I hope this continues to be a place of higher education for our children.”
Faculty union president Andrew MacNeill commended the college board for the way it has handled the challenges. He applauded the college community for standing up and speaking out last year about the suspicious activities surrounding contract negotiations between construction companies and college administrators.
“This community has waited for 50 years for that corner lot to be built,” he said. “And they deserve for us to do a thorough job in finding out what unethical, immoral and possibly illegal things have happened out there.”
Associated Student Organization President Claudia Duran and former ASO President Manny Lopez showed their support for Ricasa at her arraignment with signs. Duran said her support is personal and does not reflect the views of the ASO.
“Although we have had to make some changes around the office, we continue to work efficiently and keep the student interest as a forefront to our decision-making,” wrote Duran in a statement.
Ricasa joined SWC Coordinator of Student Activities Craig Moffat on administrative leave. Moffat was suspended in December for reasons the college human resources office would not disclose. The suspensions left the ASO without both of its administrators. EOPS Director Aaron Stark is serving as acting director of student development. Dr. Gonzalo Quintero is acting coordinator of student activities.