'WAKEUP CALL' HEARING: RACISM EXISTS AT AVC.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - State lawmakers said Thursday they see evidence of racism at Antelope Valley College but are hopeful the college will regulate itself without intervention from state government.

In a hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Community Colleges held at the college, lawmakers heard complaints from African-American college employees and students, and said they will be watching to see if the college takes steps to diversify its work force.

``Even if a fraction of the complaints are true, the administration of this college should be embarrassed for them to go on,'' said Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood. ``Hearing these kinds of complaints before members of the state Legislature should be a wakeup call.''

The committee's chairman, Assemblyman Jerome Horton, D-Inglewood, said he intends to watch AVC's progress in hiring people from racial and ethnic minorities but that he was loathe to try to address the situation with legislation.

``Community colleges have enough problems,'' Horton said. ``Solve this problem for yourself.''

The three-hour hearing was attended by more than 100 people.

AVC officials acknowledge a need to diversity their work force and say they have taken steps to address the issue. The college released statistics showing progress in the hiring of minorities within the past year.

``The administration is committed to having a faculty and staff that reflect the community,'' said AVC spokesman Steve Standerfer.

AVC's percentage of African-American administrators has increased from 14.8 percent last year to 17.4 percent this year while at the same time the proportion of Latino administrators has increased from 11.1 percent to 21.7 percent, the college said.

AVC's percentage of African-American and Latino administrators is higher than the statewide percentage through the state community college system.

African-American instructors who are either tenured or are on a tenure track rose from 7 percent of the staff last year to 7.9 percent this year. The percentage of Latinos increased from 4.2 percent to 6 percent, officials said.

The college also raised the position of director of human resources from a dean's post to a vice president's post. The position, which had been vacant for several months, was filled four months ago by D. Henry Lee, an African-American.

``We're going in the right direction,'' said AVC President Daniel Larios.

AVC received a report of recommendations from a state chancellor's office team that reviewed the college's hiring practices in October. Larios said the report would be made public after AVC's board reviews it, but he did offer a glimpse of some of the team's recommendations.

The recommendations include holding open forums to allow complaints and concerns to come forward without festering; establishing an ombudsman post to which staff, faculty or students can express grievances; establish a committee to clearly define hiring procedures; and began recruitment processes earlier and advertise the positions to a wider audience.

The actions were spurred by allegations made against the college last year by three staff members. Adjunct sociology professor Sallie Stryker, counselor John McDonald and library technician Sylvia Brown say they were denied promotions because of racism.

All three testified at the hearing and reiterated their allegations.

Stryker alleges AVC violated state law requiring colleges to provide full-time positions to part-time faculty who work more than 60 percent of the hours per week, considered a full-time assignment.

Stryker also alleges the makeup of the hiring committee considering her for a full-time slot was altered to drop the number of African-American members from five to three.

Stryker has filed a lawsuit seeking a court ruling to require the college to promote her. A trial court ruled in favor of the college, but an appeals court later ruled in favor of Stryker and has directed the matter be sent back to Superior Court.

AVC officials said the Stryker matter is an issue of whether work experience courses should be included in the 60 percent rule and not an issue of racism. AVC officials said they could not comment further, citing the ongoing litigation.

Brown alleges she applied for a vacancy as database administrator but was granted an interview only after a decision had been made on who would get the job.

McDonald alleges the college denied him a promotion by putting an unpaid staff member who was on sabbatical leave back on the payroll.

The three staff members filed racial and sexual discrimination complaints against the college with the state community colleges Chancellor's Office in October 2001. The matter was referred back to AVC officials, who hired an outside consultant to review the matter.

The consultant found in favor of the college, and its findings were adopted by the college board.

The three staff members allege the consultant's review was improper because the firm was hired without them being consulted and that the firm did not address the systematic nature of the college's unfair hiring practices.

The three staff members allege the firm overlooked relevant documents, including the college's diversity committee's report about the lack of minority hires.

The state chancellor's office is planning to bring in a separate investigator to review the complaints.

Those complaints were previously reviewed by the Chancellor's Office general counsel, who determined there was no evidence to support the allegations.

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Photo:

(color) Fusako Yokotobi of the California Community College Chancellor's Officespeaks Thursday during a hearing at Antelope Valley College.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer