Monday, December 17, 2007

Yet another delayed decision in the Richart MiraCosta saga

See recent updates.

My guess is that the judge in this case will not let the lawsuit go forward because it's his job to protect the status quo in the power structure. But he doesn't like this part of his job, so he delays giving the good news to the undeserving Victoria Richart and her pals on the MiraCosta board of trustees.

But this I don't understand: how can the job performance of a president of a public college be a private matter?

It seems to me that the public has a right to know, so they'll know that they need to get rid of trustees who waste millions of taxpayer dollars to enhance the power and prestige of one person (Richart) at the expense of the institution whose wellbeing they are supposed to protect.

SDCOE-JPA and Keenan and Associates are happy to give big payouts to dysfunctional college presidents like Victoria Munoz Richart and lawyers like Randall Winet and Daniel Shinoff, but use any tactic available to avoid payouts to employees or students.

HERE IS A STORY FROM THE NORTH COUNTY TIMES:

Judge delays decision on suit to overturn Richart settlement

By:North County Times -
VISTA -- Superior Court Judge Thomas Nugent heard arguments Friday on a motion to dismiss a civil suit challenging the $1.6 million settlement agreement between MiraCosta College and its former president.

Nugent said he would issue a decision next week on whether the suit by Carlsbad resident Leon Page should go forward.
Page, an attorney, claims that MiraCosta's settlement with former college President Victoria Munoz Richart, reached in an all-night closed-session negotiation last June, violated state open meeting laws. Page seeks to overturn the settlement and force trustees to renegotiate the deal in public.

Jack Sleeth, an attorney representing the college, sought to end Page's suit by filing the motion to dismiss. Sleeth argued that Richart's settlement was done legally, did not violate open meeting laws and was a reasonable payment to Richart for damages to her reputation.

Sleeth and Richart's attorney, Randy Winet, said some trustees violated Richart's privacy rights when they made public statements about her performance. Neither attorney would specify what statements damaged Richart.

Winet said that if Page succeeds in his bid to kill the settlement, Richart would sue the college for far more money.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/12/15/news/inland/vista/22_06_0712_14_07.txt

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