In a two-part series, KGO-TV Channel 7 documents the unbelievable, lavish expense record of San Jose Evergreen Community College Chancellor Rosa Perez who announced her retirement days after the station started asking questions about her expense account.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, rumors about financial impropriety had been circulating for some time but Perez told the paper that her retirement was for health reasons.
Despite the district's $3.5 million budget cut and thousands of students who were turned away, Perez didn't appear to curtail her lavish spending .
Shortly after she was hired by the district, Perez hired Dr. Bayinaah Jones as her executive assistant. After a $30,000 raise in 2005, Jones' salary was $123,000. They bought a house together in San Francisco in 2007.
Perez makes nearly $300,000 per year plus perks including travel. The station reports that she and Jones traveled to Scotland, El Salvador, Vietnam, Thailand, New York City and West Palm Beach on the taxpayer's dime.
The district claims the expenses were legitimate. It claimed that it was part of an effort to recruit foreign students and to learn about how other school districts operate.
The foreman of the Santa Clara civil grand jury isn't buying that explanation. He was sharply critical of the district's spending.
In part two, the station reports that Perez's lavish spending record went beyond travel, including a $1300 meal and $1500 for a hotel room just 11 minutes from her home. Despite a $600 monthly stipend for expenses, Perez seemed to pass up few opportunities to use her work credit card, including charging things like coffee and even a pack of mints.
Full Disclosure: reporter Ed Walsh works part-time for KGO-TV News but did not work on this story.
Comments
Totally obscene. This woman should be put in jail along with her cronies. Residents should recall the entire Board and install persons who will initiate litigation to recover the stolen funds.
nice article.
And they're cancelling winter classes for 2010, and most probably sumemr classes. i need my credits asap.
That is not all - Other irregularities are evident and disturbing:
• I was hired Full Time at SJCC June 200 because of my education and expertise in DE
• I moved to San Jose to meet my duties
• I had to regularly return to LB for medical check ups for Bladder Cancer, Asthma, and Heart Condition
• I initiated transition to Online to meet the demand to bring SJCC up to date with what colleges were implementing
• I started online programs that became successful, effective
• I designed, developed Online Lab for students; it has been maintained/updated by me and Prof. Hanson
• Because of my need for chemotherapy at the City of Hope in Pasadena, I submitted my resignation
• Both the President and Dean refused to accept and permitted me to stay in SC and fly once a week to campus for meetings and office hours
• I accepted and have done so from 2000 to 2009 and was regularly assigned online classes each semester and kept up with duties
• I was granted tenure with honor in 2004
• In
More:
• In 2008, I was diagnosed with a Neurological Disorder that included Sleep Disorder and Epilepsy, that is in addition to my regular Cystoscopy procedures, weekly Testosterone injection, regular follow ups with my Lung Surgeon who had removed my tumors.
• I have since been prevented from driving or flying
• On the advice of doctors, Union President, SJECCD, I was put on a reduced load 0f 60%
• Since then, I have taught 2 classes online and keeping up with my duties, using technology
• October 5, I submitted my regular load sheet for the Spring Semester
• November 25, I received a revised version of teaching load of 45%
• I didn’t sign indicating it was below minimum allowed for a full time faculty. It would disqualify me from my benefits
• My inquiries were left unanswered and no administrator could be reached
• I contacted HR November 30, I was told the college could not keep me at 60%
Ms. Jones should be urged to do the right thing and resign - contact her - her email is bayinaah.jones@sjeccd.org
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