Chancellor Deborah Blue to retire in June 2014.

After controversy and speculation, a decision has been made regarding State Center Community College District Chancellor Deborah Blue’s future. In a 4-2 vote with one abstention, the SCCCD Board of Trustees amended Blue’s contract, ending her duties as chancellor effective June 30, 2014.

Blue, according to a district statement released shortly after the meeting, will continue as Chancellor Emeritus until June 30, 2015. This allows the district to conduct a nationwide replacement to “hopefully” be in place by July 1, 2015.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as chancellor of the State Center Community College District for the benefit of our students,” Blue said. “I have greatly enjoyed working with the board and with district administrators, faculty, staff and students.”

Board President Patrick Patterson commented on behalf of the entire board of trustees.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire [SCCCD] I want to express our heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Blue  for her outstanding service to the district,” Patterson said.

Though Blue and Patterson’s comments were positive, members of the community spoke out against her contract amendment. Among the comments made were criticisms of the process that the board members went through to amend the contract.

“They’ve handled it in a way that creates problems in that they have not been forthcoming and identified what the issues really were. When you do that and you’re not explicit, you allow folks to speculate, to guess and arrive at their own conclusions,” James Hendricks of Fresno Compact said.

Hendricks added that the district’s handling of the situation was not done in a way that was “credible”. According to Hendricks, the board members have “created a situation that is not good for the district, not good for the chancellor or the community.”

Hendricks stated that the board members have not been decisive and criticised the members further by telling them directly that this situation was not the type to “play games with”.

Fresno City College counselor Dr. Geraldine Santos supported Blue and stated that she deserved respect and dignity.

“[Blue] has the right to respect and dignity just as you would expect. Don’t make a hasty decision just because you have the authority to do so,” Santos said. “Do not behave like Russia against Crimea.”

Santos addressed the board members and stated that the way they deal with these issues needs to change. She urged them to to reach out to their constituents and find out what they are thinking and feeling. Santos also explained that the board members will one day be in Blue’s position.

“At the end of the day, you too have a day of judgment. You, too, have a day where we will decide if you get back in those offices and if you don’t do right now, we know you won’t do right in the future,” Santos said.

While not all that extreme, Blue’s supporters message was constant.

“I wanted to show my support for Dr. Blue,” said Dr. Brian Olowude, Director of Psychological Services for the district. “Who I feel has done a good job in leading our district in what has been a very difficult transition into a more modern district.”

Olowude admits that he has not been in constant agreement, with the chancellor but felt it not his place to complain.

“The decisions she had to make were not easy, many were not liked. I don’t even think I agreed with all of her decisions,” said Olowude. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t respect them.”

And respect for her was a theme throughout all of her supporters, her race was also brought into the discussion, but quickly dismissed.

“We are more concerned with the prospects of everyone being treated fairly and equally, more so than the ethnicity of it,” said Mel Sanders, Fresno chapter NAACP. “Although that may have something to do with it. It’s much more did they follow the proper protocol with whatever action that they decide to do.”

Sanders was much more concerned with the process that the board took in reaching and announcing their decision.

“When you deal with people that have the kind of authority that they have, you want to make sure that it is being applied properly,” said Sanders.

Sanders has also begun looking a bit deeper to find if the board may have any other “missteps.”

“Usually the State Center District flies under the radar, nobody pays attention,” said Sanders “But because of Dr. Blue and her affect on the community, the interest level has been raised.”