Night at the Special Meeting

Interruptions occurred at the special Board of Trustee meeting Saturday night.

“We want Swayne” and “Dr. Swayne” was the common chant. One woman had yelled out “Where’s the transparency.”

The interruptions were from the community who tried voicing their displeasure at the Board, who placed President Dr. Nick Swayne on administrative leave.

The Board’s actions led the ASNIC Student Government to vote, and passed, a resolution condemning the recent actions by the Board of Trustees.

ASNIC Student Government President Damian Maxwell attended the meeting with the student government, handing out paper copies of the resolution.

“For them to behave like this knowing that the accreditation body is watching is appalling,” said Maxwell.

For the attendees who came to voice their displeasure, community member Deborah Rose had a lot on her mind.

“They’ve humiliated Dr. Swayne for no reason, he’s done nothing wrong,” said Rose.

Rose said that Dr. Nick Swayne cared about the college community. She wanted to see the board of trustees changed with people who care about the college community.

At the meeting, some attendees held signs. One read “I can think of IX reasons not to hire Mike Sabaaly” and one read “Two meetings, Huge demands, with no public comment.”

One attendee who held a sign was Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl.

“When I see that somebody is trying to destroy an educational asset, like trustees Banducci, Waggoner, and McKenzie are doing, I feel like it’s my duty to show up,” said Borrenpohl. “This is the individual future of our students.”

Borrenpohl said the community college is essential. Essential to the students, economy, and an empathetic and engaged society. 

There was no public comment allowed. The fire alarm went off twice.

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