Recently, area newspapers reported that certain individuals at the Long Beach Community College District are attempting to stop me from executing my Board duties and alleging conflict of interest through a lawsuit, paid for by the taxpayers. These allegations against me are false and I have been a victim of a political smear campaign at the expense of taxpayers.
These actions represent an unprecedented and desperate step that highlight significant problems at the District and, sadly, are a distraction from what should be our primary focus – students.
The allegations result from three Board members trying to cover up their misconduct associated with the firing of the District’s former superintendent, who, as it turns out, filed a whistleblower complaint alleging misconduct by these Board members. I am being targeted because I believe the superintendent was doing a good job. I voted against her termination because I thought then and do now that she was terminated without cause and that the Board, using over $220,000 of taxpayer dollars, ordered an ill-defined investigation into her to cover its tracks.
These members want to prevent me from participating because they claim allegations were made against me in this investigation, yet failing to mention they were also subjects of the investigation. How is it fair for them to make decisions about allegations into them? Of course the details of those allegations were not released to the public and instead only those critical of me and the former superintendent were selectively disclosed.
Taxpayer dollars are being inappropriately used to file a baseless lawsuit in retaliation for my refusal to capitulate to the Board majority’s agenda. Under normal circumstances, Board’s vote and a majority wins. Apparently not at the Community College District where the minority position leads to the ugliest of personal, political tactics. These specious allegations made against me are an attempt to distract the public from allegations made against these Board members, in particular one Board member, that the former superintendent filed with law enforcement. This lawsuit is one of many attempts by these members to smear my reputation publicly and professionally.
As an elected Board member, a responsibility that I take seriously, my job is to faithfully represent my constituents, protect taxpayer dollars and educate students. While fighting the questionable behavior of fellow Board members is not part of my job description, I am determined to fight any attempt to misuse public funds under all circumstances, but particularly when they involve settling political scores.
Regarding the individual who made a baseless allegation that I tried to extort campaign contributions from him, one he is a donor and friend of the same Board member mentioned in the superintendent’s whistle blower complaint and two this individual never contributed to my campaign as he alleges. All records of contributions to my campaign are publicly available and it will show that this individual’s claims are false. I have never pressured this individual or anyone for campaign contributions. Period. This individual outlandishly implies that I threatened contracts his company holds with my full-time employer – which is false and impossible because I have no authority to influence or approve his contracts.
I went sideways with these Board members because I disagree with the $220,000+ of public funds they grossly misused to justify a politically driven decision to fire the previous superintendent. Long Beach taxpayers, students and the general public deserve to know how their tax dollars have been abused on this internal smear campaign of malicious gossip, slander and vilification geared toward me and designed to distract from whistleblower allegations of wrongdoing against three Board members filed with law enforcement.
I will never renege on my fiduciary duty and leave constituents of District 3 unrepresented as some Board members have asked me to do. The politics of personal destruction may be commonplace in other levels of government but they shouldn’t exist on the Long Beach Community College Board.
I urge the public to see through the dishonest actions of these Board members for what they really are: a power-driven attempt to stifle a dissident voice.
Sunny Zia represents District 3 on the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees. She can be reached at info@sunnyzia.com.