Why Are We Speaking Anonymously?
Intimidation and retaliation by the Chancellor, her Cabinet, and close associates.
The State Center Community College District (SCCCD or District) is a publicly funded educational institution governed by state and federal regulations, including California’s Title 5, which mandates oversight through an elected Board of Trustees. Members of the public and employees have the right to raise concerns to the Board. However, under Chancellor Carole Goldsmith’s administration, this right has been undermined by a culture of intimidation and retaliation, where voicing concerns has cost individuals their jobs and stifled their professional advancement. It is widely recognized that speaking up in the SCCCD equates to risking severe and often career-ending consequences.
Notable examples include administrators who challenged the Chancellor’s decisions, only to be removed or driven out of the District, and a record number of faculty members dismissed under her tenure. The extent of retaliation and silencing tactics employed by Chancellor Goldsmith is both alarming and unacceptable for a public institution like the SCCCD.
The assertion that Chancellor Goldsmith and her close allies engage in retaliation has been echoed by numerous faculty and classified professionals. This sentiment was echoed publicly by Mr. Keith Ford, President of the State Center Federation of Teachers (SCFT), during a May 7, 2024, Board meeting, where he expressed deep concern about the climate of fear and lack of policies to protect against retaliation by cabinet-level administrators. In his statement, Mr. Ford shared:
“I have documented evidence that this lack of policy is being exploited by administrators to shield themselves and their friends and to persecute faculty and staff… . I have been asked not to share my evidence by every person who has given me some, because they are afraid of the people in this very room, at these very tables.”
Mr. Ford requested that the Board of Trustees establish a taskforce to create policies ensuring complaints against senior administrators are handled by an independent third party. Despite his call for action, the Board of Trustees has yet to implement any corrective measures. In fact, evidence suggests that the situation has deteriorated further, with increasingly severe retaliation against those who speak up.
Chancellor Goldsmith’s alleged threats, intimidation, retaliations, and bullying are not limited to employees of the District. This includes public figures outside the District, such as Dr. Saul Salinas, who criticized the Chancellor’s actions on social media and received what appeared to be a direct threat to his employment in response from Chancellor Goldsmith. While she later deleted the comment, the impact remains.
Dr. Saul Salinas shared the following on his Facebook account.
Dr. Salinas described the Chancellor’s behavior as “threats, bullying, and intimidation.” We agree with his opinion.
Similarly, recently retired faculty member, Dr. Gerri Santos, has been vocal on social media about Chancellor Goldsmith’s behavior. Despite being a polarizing figure, her posts on X (https://x.com/DrGerriSantos) have shed light on the Chancellor’s alleged pattern of “threats, bullying, and intimidation.” Dr. Santos claims that Chancellor Goldsmith “brags how many tenured faculty she’s fired,” and has detailed how employees are coerced into compliance through fear tactics.
These are just a few of the examples we’ve gathered—additional revelations will be shared in our upcoming reports.
These accounts underscore the urgency and necessity of protecting our anonymity. The unexpected willingness of administrators to share information with us further reveals the widespread discontent with Chancellor Goldsmith’s leadership, extending beyond just faculty and classified professionals.
We have meticulously compiled a series of reports intended to bring transparency to the actions of the Chancellor, her cabinet, and her close associates. We believe that the Board of Trustees is either unaware of these actions or complicit in them. If the Board is uninformed, these reports will provide the transparency needed to intervene and halt the alleged dismantling of our institution. However, if the Board is complicit in the Chancellor’s conduct, the public deserves to know that their elected representatives are failing to hold their employee accountable for these serious transgressions.
The unchecked intimidation and retaliation, combined with the Board’s inaction, have left us no choice but to remain anonymous. Otherwise, we would have voiced our concerns openly without fear of severe and career-ending consequences.
The pressing question remains: how much longer will the Board of Trustees stand by before taking decisive action?
State Center Community College District (SCCCD) - Fresno City College (FCC) - Madera Community College (MCC)- Clovis Community College (CCC) - Reedley College (RC) - Dr. Carole Goldsmith - Chancellor Goldsmith