Richart used the palm-tree investigation as a pretext for eliminating administrators

Philip Ireland at the North County Times has summed up the MiraCosta College scandal:

http://nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/02/news/coastal/2_01_111_1_08.txt
January 2, 2008

"...[A] long list of contentious issues polarized trustees into two voting blocs.

Trustees Adams, Post, Carolyn Batiste and Rudy Fernandez formed a voting majority that backed [President Victoria] Richart.

They repeatedly blocked attempts by minority Trustees Gloria Carranza, Judy Strattan and Jacqueline Simon to discuss issues regarding the scandal, the ensuing investigation, the mounting legal costs and myriad political and moral questions that grew out of the controversy.

"Many instructors, backed by minority trustees, say Richart used the palm-tree investigation as a pretext for eliminating administrators who challenged Richart's primacy..."