Staff speaks to Trustees on Alvarez 'leave'
Staff tells Board of low morale
Salomon Baeza
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: News
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Both staff and faculty were in attendance at the recent Nov. 11 meeting in support of Alvarez, who has worked at Rio Hondo for 23 years. Both groups are calling Alvarez's leave into question on an ethical and legal stance.
During the opening minutes of the meeting faculty and staff members spoke on behalf of Alvarez and against the actions taken.
First to speak was library staff member Sandra Rivera, who commented on the Alvarez case as an example of the lack of respect on the part of district and administrative officials.
"I felt part of the Rio Hondo family. I'm not feeling that now. I'm feeling distrust, I'm feeling unhappiness I'm seeing a lack of respect," said Communications Professor MaryAnn Pacheco and echoed by many in attendance including California School Employee Association head Lisa Sandoval.
Alvarez's leave was done, according to Rivera and others, without proper notification and representation.
Rivera also commented that such action is cause for concern, as staff members may no longer report workplace injuries for fear of being dismissed.
Rivera continued that she believes no action has been taken because lawyers have become involved with the matter and ended her statement with a request for the Board to prioritize the importance of Alvarez's case and for action to be taken swiftly and decisively.
Pacheco denounced official actions and inaction. "I come to you this evening as a resident of the district, as a faculty leader and as a friend of the board" said Pacheco continuing "I'm just representing me as a member of the public I don't care if you have a procedure, I want you to remedy the situation right now because when something is wrong it's wrong."
Many of the comments made emphasized the importance of Alvarez's case as both one of Administrative and staff relations.
Pacheco's comments included at commentary on the school for which she and Alvarez have made their life's work.
"We are not a private enterprise our bottom line is not the bottom line. We are a public enterprise and our bottom line is services and people. Maybe somewhere the bottom line in terms of money could be served by what happened to Pat but she is not a widget and the services and the people will not be served."
What is known of the Alvarez case is that on the Friday morning of Oct. 16 Alvarez was approached by a district representative that resulted in her being told to take a medical leave.
Having recently returned from a surgery for carpel tunnel incurred through repeated office work, Alvarez's leave is said to be an 'erroneous' belief that she can no longer perform her duties as described.
Rio Hondo Board of Trustees President Andre Quintero acknowledged staff concerns about the Alvarez case, commenting that he and other Board of Trustee members would have "an appropriate conversation with the President and Superintendent later this meeting."
Following the comments in regards to Alvarez, Trustee members continued with business as usual returning to their outlined agenda.
According to Sandoval, Alvarez's position has been temporarily filled and as of Nov. 11's meeting it has been announced that no action can be taken and that there was no contract violation.
In light of such news, Alvarez will be forced to pursue the matter outside the district and through her own lawyer.
"We're just really disappointed in how this was handled," said Sandoval.
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