COD board places Interim President Laura Hope on administrative leave

The Board of Trustees at College of the Desert voted 3-2 in closed session Friday afternoon to place Interim Superintendent/President Laura Hope on administrative leave with pay, effective immediately.

The decision came during a special board meeting, where Val Martinez Garcia, the school’s vice president of Student Services, was appointed as the acting superintendent/president.

The board’s decision was made in a split vote. Trustees Rubén Perez, the board clerk, Mary Jane Sanchez-Fulton, and Chair Joel Kinnamon voted in favor of the move, while Vice Chair Ron Oden and Trustee Mark Meyer opposed it.

The appointment of Martinez Garcia as acting superintendent/president passed with a 5-1 vote, with only Oden dissenting.

Hope was first hired in the interim role in July 2023, replacing Dr. Martha Garcia. She was scheduled to end her term in June 2025, but eventually elected to seek the permanent appointment.

The board did not provide specific reasons for placing Hope on leave or details about the duration of the leave. However, some students, faculty, and staff who spoke prior to the closed session expressed concerns about alleged intimidation and fear campaigns on campus. They referenced materials that have been circulating for weeks alleging wrongdoing by Hope.

“There is currently a campaign of fear and intimidation underway here on campus,” said Tony Aguilar, an employee and member of the Faculty and Staff of Color Caucus. “Members of upper management are eagerly trying to find out if anyone on campus is responsible for circulating the aforementioned dossiers.”

Aguilar urged the board to take action to prevent a repeat of issues that reportedly occurred at Chaffey College, where the documents allege Hope’s tenure was marked with favoritism toward some employees. “Please do not let what happened at Chaffey College repeat itself here at College of the Desert,” he said.

Carlene Hart, speaking on behalf of the school’s California School Employees Association (CSEA) members, criticized recent actions by Hope, including summoning employees for questioning.

“One of our members was recently summoned to the president’s office to answer questions about recent mailings that were delivered to staff, faculty, and to leadership,” Hart said. “This is disturbing, as the people that this employee reports to were not involved in the meeting, and CSEA was never notified.”

Hart also raised concerns about the cancellation of the search for a permanent president, which was done earlier this month after what was referred to as a “breach” by one or more members of the presidential search committee, calling it “another ploy (for Hope) to stay on until the end of June.”

The board also faced calls for transparency and adherence to policies in its decision-making processes.

“This board has the opportunity to turn the page and restore confidence and morale here at College of the Desert,” Aguilar said. “Simply put, you are losing the public trust and the trust of those that come to work here every day.”

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