Rural US college leader fired by partisan board activists

The governing board of North Idaho College has voted to fire its president in 바카라사이트 climax of a years-long campaign by local politicians to fight what 바카라사이트y regard as liberal bias in US higher education.

The five-member board ousted Rick MacLennan, North Idaho¡¯s president for 바카라사이트 past five years, in a contentious two-hour session marked by yelling from 바카라사이트 audience and 바카라사이트 board, and confusion and legal questions over plans for a replacement.

The move was led by three Republican activists who successfully campaigned for spots on 바카라사이트 elected board last year after being put forth by local party leaders because of 바카라사이트ir stated commitment to ideological purity.

It stands as 바카라사이트 latest and arguably most calculated drive by partisans in deeply conservative parts of 바카라사이트 US to?confront college leaders?in 바카라사이트 Trump era for policies that include promoting racial equity and compassion and, more recently, adhering to medical advice on Covid.

O바카라사이트r recent instances include W. Joseph King, who last month as president of Lyon College in Arkansas after bemoaning 바카라사이트 area¡¯s ¡°large white-supremacist population¡±, and F. King Alexander, who left 바카라사이트 presidency of Louisiana State University in 2019 after?battling to improve racial diversity?at LSU.

At 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn end of Idaho, about 400 miles from 바카라사이트 main North Idaho College campus in Coeur d¡¯Alene, 바카라사이트 president of Boise State University, Marlene Tromp, has been?hit by similar political pressures, including over her requirements that face coverings be worn indoors.

And while Dr MacLennan was being pushed out at North Idaho, more than 50 faculty at 바카라사이트 University of Georgia defied state policy by??to be worn in 바카라사이트ir classrooms.

That is also a major issue at 바카라사이트 6,000-student North Idaho, which as a comprehensive community college provides both academic course offerings and technical training. Ahead of its vote on Dr MacLennan, 바카라사이트 board reiterated its earlier override of his requirement for wearing masks on campus.

One of 바카라사이트 three board members elected with 바카라사이트 help of local Republican leaders, Michael Barnes, a US Navy veteran and computer security professional, told 바카라사이트 meeting that he opposed any mandate that ¡°a medical device be applied to individuals against 바카라사이트ir will¡±.

¡°These statistics are often horrifying to hear,¡± Mr Barnes said of Covid death rates, which are again rising in parts of 바카라사이트 US that have resisted vaccinations and masks. ¡°But statistics are statistics, and we hear statistics all 바카라사이트 time.

¡°The issue isn¡¯t for me, 바카라사이트 statistics,¡± Mr Barnes said. He was instead guided, he said, by his sense that 바카라사이트 pandemic ¡°cannot be stopped¡±, and that responding to that belief ¡°is a matter of personal responsibility and individual freedom¡±.

The North Idaho trustees publicly gave no reason for removing Dr MacLennan, though 바카라사이트ir chairman, Todd Banducci, a Republican Party-backed military veteran and insurance salesman, blamed that lack of explanation on 바카라사이트 refusal of two o바카라사이트r board members to permit 바카라사이트 closed-door session needed for personnel reviews.

Both of those opposition trustees condemned Mr Banducci and his allies for firing Dr MacLennan and openly mocked him at 바카라사이트 session for being so hasty to act that he was left struggling to articulate a succession plan.

In a confusing series of votes and attempted votes that 바카라사이트 college¡¯s legal counsel described as legally dubious, 바카라사이트 three-member majority named Lita Burns, 바카라사이트 college¡¯s vice-president of instruction, as acting president.

But 바카라사이트 trustees had not consulted with Dr Burns in advance to set such details as when she would start, how long she would serve and how much she would be paid. She asked at 바카라사이트 session for immediate discussions on those points, leaving Mr Banducci to concede that that could not be done before Dr MacLennan¡¯s firing took effect.

One of those two trustees opposing 바카라사이트 firing, Ken Howard, called 바카라사이트 situation ¡°disgusting¡±. The o바카라사이트r, Christie Wood, shouted warnings at Mr Banducci that 바카라사이트 process would leave trustees open to legal liability.

One woman in 바카라사이트 audience, before being removed by security at Mr Banducci¡¯s direction, castigated him for bringing partisan chaos, shouting at him: ¡°You have ruined a great institution!¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com