The Day That Changed JCCC

Walking on the Ledge

Notes on a Scandal

Five years ago today I walked into Charles J. Carlsen’s office with a reporter’s notebook, recorder, and a folder full of documents. I ask the then president of Johnson County Community College if he sexually harassed an employee.

I wasn’t scared. I passed scared 13 months earlier when I first learned of the allegations. I was terrified — terrified, but focused.

At some point I may post the audio recording of my meeting that included Carlsen; Susan Lindahl, vice president of College Relations and Strategic Initiatives; and Anne Chrisitansen-Bullers, adviser of The Campus Ledger.

I kept a log of that time just in case I found myself in court. On this fifth anniversary of that meeting, I want to share an edited version of that day’s entry. I edited it because during my 13-month investigation into the allegations, I spoke with many brave JCCC employees. Because of their bravery, I promised to hold certain information private.

This edited version is not an attempt to reframe history but rather an attempt to continue honoring my promise.

Trustee Causes Chaos

Hodge Admits Trustees Lack “day-to-day” Contact with Campus

Hodge

I guess I should thank Ben Hodge for unknowingly validating one of the cornerstones of my campaign for JCCC Trustee as he fired back at JCCC  college president Terry Calaway.

Hodge, a JCCC trustee and fellow candidate for the April 7 board election,  issued a press release in response to the statement Calaway released Tuesday.

Hodge answers specific points made by Calaway and charges the board with misinterpreting the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA). As a student employee I’ve had my own experiences holding the board — including Hodge — to KOMA and Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) provisions. However one phrase in Hodge’s statement exposed one of the board’s long-standing weaknesses:

“As is often the case with board members (who don’t experience the day-to-day environment of the college), I really do not know what the average employee thinks about all this – or whether the average employee even knows or cares.”

That’s quite an admission. It also highlights one of my unique strengths as a candidate — a strength no other candidate in this race can claim — I walk these halls on a daily basis. I know this campus. I am a leader in student clubs and serve on employee committees. When I take my seat as a trustee, I’ll continue walking these halls as a student.

Read Hodge’s entire press release here.

Filed!

I’m officially a candidate for the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees — again.

From The Latino Reporter