MISSION VP GETS A TIMEOUT ADMINISTRATOR ON LEAVE AS PROFESSOR'S ARREST INVESTIGATED.

Byline: JOSH KLEINBAUM Staff Writer

SYLMAR - A Mission College administrator has been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate a series of events that led to the arrest of a professor, campus President Jose Leyba said Thursday.

Joe Ramirez, the vice president of student services, has been accused by students and faculty of inappropriately canceling a student government election and ordering a student fired from her job as an on-campus Sheriff's Department cadet - an incident that ultimately led to the arrest of a popular 67-year-old political science professor.

Ramirez did not return phone calls.

"Administrative leave is not an indication of a person's guilt or innocence," Leyba said. "In this situation, it allows for an easing of the tensions and re-creating our college atmosphere."

In addition to the administrative steps, the school's Faculty Senate plans to take a no-confidence vote on Ramirez during its meeting next Thursday.

"We have very strong feelings about this, and we want him removed, bottom line," English Professor Vickie Odino said. "This is the strongest point we can make as a unit to the administration."

Ramirez has been criticized by faculty and students for a series of controversial events, including his decision April 25 to cancel student government elections because of questions about a candidate's qualifications.

A student meeting was held April 26, with some participants angrily protesting Ramirez's decision to cancel the elections. Among those speaking out was Yesenia Franco, 20, who worked on campus as a sheriff's cadet and had been a candidate for the student Senate.

On April 27, Franco was ordered to report to the campus sheriff's station for a meeting. Fearing retaliation for her comments, she asked Professor Charles Dirks and two friends to accompany her, and Dirks tape-recorded the session.

According to the tape, sheriff's officials ordered Franco's escorts to leave and Dirks refused, saying he was serving as her adviser. A sergeant said he was going to be firing Franco and had to meet with Franco alone.

When Dirks asked why, the sergeant said, "You're going to have to talk it over with Vice President Ramirez."

Finally, Dirks agreed to leave, but said Franco would leave, too. Franco said sheriff's officials blocked her exit.

"You're blocking the lady, you're blocking the lady," Dirks said in the tape recording.

There was a scuffle. Dirks said deputies tackled him. Franco could be heard on the tape shouting, "You guys can't do that, you can't do that. What are you guys doing?"

Dirks said he suffered bruises on his arm and head, handcuff cuts on his wrists and a torn calf muscle.

He had to be taken by ambulance to Olive View Hospital's emergency room, where deputies arrested him on suspicion of disturbing the peace and obstructing an officer.

"For them to do this - unbelievable," Dirks said in an interview Thursday. "I didn't put up any struggle. I wasn't rude. I didn't curse them."

Leyba said he reviewed the audio tape, as well as a videotape of the incident, but could not comment while the investigation was under way.

Sheriff's Department officials did not return phone calls Thursday.

"I am very disturbed about the whole situation," Leyba said. "A college campus is a marketplace of ideas. We should be able to exchange those ideas in an environment of civility and respect."

Staff Writer Charles F. Bostwick contributed to this report.

josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com

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