Bob Chester, Coordinator of Judicial Affairs and Faculty Senate President, has resigned from his respective positions, as of last Wednesday, as sources cite “personal attacks” on him as the reasoning behind the resignation.
Scott O’Neil, head of the Math department, will now serve as the new Faculty Senate President.
“It was upsetting when it initially happened,” O’Neil said. “The college is very important to him and he felt it was in the best interest of the college and himself.”
Chester announced his resignation through an email to the Faculty Senate, and Linda Lacy, the Cerritos College president, knew why he resigned.
“He indicated to me that it was personal reasons, and he felt that there had been several attacks on him personally,” she said. “It was the best for him and his family to go ahead and resign. I certainly understand when you put those two factors ahead of it, and I respected his decision to do that.”
Chester’s email, as reported at http://bit.ly/1fFQBWo said, “Colleagues, friends, and others: It has become absolutely clear to me that because of the continued personal attacks against me – some you know about, and some you do not – that it is no longer possible for me to effectively represent faculty members in the senate or to handle matters in Judicial Affairs.
“I am stepping down from both positions as of today. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and I sincerely wish you all the best. As always, Bob.”
Recently, the “personal attacks,” have stemmed from a Faculty Senate meeting, where Chester acted in a supposed unprofessional manner.
“There has been a couple of things said in different settings and more recently there was an email coming from another faculty member to him,” Lacy said.
Philosophy professor Ted Stolze apparently took offense to a joke Chester told.
“At today’s faculty senate meeting I was deeply offended by your vulgar attempt to explain why there would be no cookies available (I won’t relate the “joke”),” Stoltze was reported saying on http://bit.ly/1fFQBWo
“I don’t care how you speak in private, but I do care as a colleague how my senate president addresses a public meeting. Sexist humor in such a forum is not acceptable.”
O’Neil will take the position, but the Faculty Senate elections will occur during the Fall semester, as the term was set to end this Spring semester.
“Whatever direction we need to take, whether it be for students, which is our No. 1 priority, smaller things that need to be done and just moving on, we’re all on the same team, and we’ll take care of it,” he said.
